Bendigo Magazine - Issue 51 - Winter 2018 by Bendigo Magazine

ISSUE 51 | WINTER 2018 www.bendigomagazine.com.au

one born

EVERY SIX HOURS 30 MINUTES

CLEAN CANVAS AN ARTIST STARTS LIFE ANEW

social scene

WERE YOU SNAPPED?

ISSN 1833-1289 AUD $5.95 (Inc. GST)

booked out

WINTER FESTIVALS COVERED

B ENDIGO HO L I DAY R E N TA L S Weekend retreats, executive stays, short term holiday accommodation and long term rentals WITH 2, 3 AND 4 BEDROOM HOUSES IN BENDIGO CBD, WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. All our self contained houses are walking distance to attractions like Ulumbarra Theatre, Chinese Museum, View Street Arts Precinct, Pall Mall, shops and restaurants all close by. FREE wifi and refreshments on arrival… all modern conveniences such as 50” LCD SMART TV, dishwashers and off street parking. PET friendly. Come see why many people are coming back time after time!! Call us today to discuss your short term accommodation needs.

www.BendigoHolidayRentals.com 0408 395 312

dear reader, Many of the stories in this issue of Bendigo Magazine are about newness. Starting over. They’re about what can happen when you’re bold enough to chase a dream. Buddhist monk and refugee Moonie set out to learn English and ended up with a uni degree. Artist Patricia Harry dared to move interstate at 86 and discovered a new lease on life. Roz and John Bradbury found a fresh outlook in their once-in-a-lifetime build on Barkly Street.

EDITOR Lauren Mitchell CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER David Field CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dustin Schilling WRITERS Ben Cameron, Sarah Harris, Geoff Hocking, John Holton, Paula Hubert, Kate O’Connor and Raelee Tuckerman CONTRIBUTORS Beau Cook, Lisa Chesters, Alex Fisher, Justin McPhail, Peter Russell-Clarke and Finn Vedelsby

There’s perhaps no greater change instigator than a baby. We met tiny Hamish John and his proud-as parents in the women’s ward at the Bendigo Hospital; a place that will welcome around 1400 new lives into the world this year.

EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHER Ashley Taylor

No doubt many people joined me in feeling a hint of nostalgic sadness when the old maternity ward was demolished last year. As a fifth-generation local, many of my lot took their first breaths there. The place was part of our story. Little did I know my husband and I were soon to be the first in the family to welcome a baby at the new hospital. With a 13-yeargap between children, it’s a whole other chapter! It was a pleasure to return for the story ‘Visiting Hours’.

ADVERTISING advertising@bendigomagazine.com.au

Life’s changes are often unpredictable, but what’s certain is when we put our energy into starting over; starting that small business, planting that garden, adopting that dog, throwing in a career to coach kids soccer (see stories within), stuff happens. And often it’s remarkable. What do you long to pursue? Go on, be brave, you can do it in Bendigo. And be sure to tell us all about it when you do.

LAUREN MITCHELL

PRINT MANAGER Nigel Quirk

PO Box 5003 Bendigo, VIC 3550 Phone: 0438 393 198

Bendigo Magazine takes all care but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Bendigo Magazine holds copyright to all content unless otherwise stated. ISSN 1833-1289. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication. The views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the editor or the publisher.

PEOPLE & LIFE 16

Visiting Hours - On the women’s ward The Cybermum - Alexandra Tynan Puppet love - Narelle Stone Position of trust - Jesse Cattell Lessons in life - Peter Thompson and Moonie Lean green machines - Lucas and Robin Kirby The rescue remedy - Lisa Chesters Missing Meagan - Meagan Anderson Hand on heart - Bendigo memories A very personal passion - Julie Oberin

105 The Italian job

contents

- Fabrizio Soncin

109 Harcourt’s riding high

- La Larr Ba Gauwa bike park

Sultan on fire - Dan Sultan Well read and ready - Bendigo Writers Festival An artist’s life anew - Patricia Harry

59 88

A cosy homecoming - Lisa Smith Bendigo shopping - Winter buys At home on Barkly Street - John and Roz Bradbury

102 Turning Japanese

- Simon Rosa

FOOD & WINE

Green thumbs up - PepperGreen Farm

A dash of that - Finn Vedelsby

Road to riches - Justin McPhail

Until June 11 Marimekko: Design Icon 1951 - 2018 Bendigo Art Gallery www.bendigoartgallery.com.au June 9 - 11 Heathcote on Show www.heathcoteonshow.com.au June 14 – 16 Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure Girton Grammar School production www.thecapital.com.au

July 5 – 8 Fiddler on the Roof Bendigo Theatre Company www.thecapital.com.au From July 7 Myuran Sukumaran: Another Day in Paradise Bendigo Art Gallery www.bendigoartgallery.com.au July 7 - 8 Barrel Wine Tasting Weekend www.bendigowine.org.au July 14 Blues Tram Bendigo Blues and Roots Festival www.bendigobluesandroots.com.au July 20 -22 Australian Sheep and Wool Show www.sheepshow.com July 22 Mosstrooper Steeplechase Raceday 2018 Bendigo Jockey Club countryracing.com/bendigo

Winter pleaser - Beau Cook

Let us savour soup - Peter Russell-Clarke

June 10 Show and Shine Mid State MOPARS www.midstatemopars.com

July 3 TAFE open night Bendigo TAFE www.bendigotafe.edu.au

HOUSE & GARDEN

June 8 - 9 Seussical Catherine McAuley College production www.thecapital.com.au

June 17 Sportsman Associated Race Day Bendigo Jockey Club countryracing.com/bendigo

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 30

events

August 10 – 12 Bendigo Writers Festival www.bendigowritersfestival.com.au August 25 Bendigo on the Hop www.bendigobeer.com

ON THE COVER:

August 26 La Trobe University Bendigo open day www.latrobe.edu.au/openday

Cecile Shanahan is the Bendigo Writers Festival communications officer. She’s flying the flag for this year’s festival, which will take over View Street venues in August. What will happen behind The Engine Room’s red door? Go to www.bendigowritersfestival.com.au for the program.

August 29 – 31 Enlighten Festival City of Greater Bendigo www.thecapital.com.au

RUG UP FOR THE RACES June 2 Embrace a casual country theme for the Elmore Cup at the Bendigo Jockey Club. Get up close and personal with jockeys and trainers from around the state while enjoying all the racing action, from the mounting yard to the winning post. Back a winner from the CJ Watson Bar or the bookmakers on course. Alternatively, throw out a rug on the manicured lawns overlooking the gardens. In case of wet winter weather, take your pick of the grandstand seating for an undercover vantage point to watch the ponies.

chill out bendigo

Don’t hibernate this winter – step out and find inspiration in festivals, exhibitions, live music and a punt on the ponies. PAINTINGS FROM PARADISE July 7 - September 16 Another Day in Paradise is the first major exhibition of Myuran Sukumaran’s work, alongside that of other leading Australian artists. It presents the paintings Myuran produced while incarcerated and awaiting the death penalty in Bali. The artist painted under unimaginable and extraordinary circumstances, proving art can heal and people can change. The five new Australian commissioned artworks are explorations of Myuran’s life and practice, the nature of incarceration and the death penalty. They respond to the paintings Myuran produced during his short career, and speak to justice systems globally. This moving exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery was organised by Campbelltown Arts Centre.

Image credit: Myuran Sukumaran, Self-Portrait, Time is Ticking, 25 April 2015. Oil on canvas. 100 x 80 cm

BENDIGO, AUSTRALIA

joolsforjim.com

July 15 After a great kick-start at the Summer Showcase event at the Rifle Brigade Hotel in February, blues and roots acts again return to the Golden Vine Hotel for the winter edition - another brilliant line-up is in store, across two stages, presenting 16 acts, all part of the November Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival. The packed list of acts confirmed to perform at this year’s BB&RMF Winter Showcase fundraiser includes some of Bendigo’s best, along with some fresh faces and exciting sounds from the larger blues, soul, jazz and original music circuits who’ve put their respective hands up to support the not-for-profit community music festival. Here’s some of the acts playing the Vine on July 15: Lily & King, Jarrah Thompson, Messin’ ‘Round, Wayne Jury, Alister Turrill w/Toby Johnson, Spiritus, William Alexander, Ben J Carter, Dave Diprose, Mariah

McCarthy, Pat Ward, Jarrod Shaw, Groove Juice and Sons of The Blues... with more to be announced. As always, these artists are donating their time and talents for the fundraiser, as are the festival’s volunteer committee and crew, to help boost the kitty to pay for the main event on November 8-11. To continue to fund this predominantly-free festival, your support and assistance is needed. So spread the word and bring a posse to the Golden Vine Hotel Bendigo on Sunday, July 15 and help grow the burgeoning music scene that’s been revitalised over the last eight years. Tickets for the Winter Showcase are available at the door on the day and are $15 for adults, $5 for under-18s (with under-12s free). Friends of the Festival (FOF Members) enter free - FOF card must be presented. The live music will start at 12pm and continue through till 8pm.

TALL AND TALES AND TRIBUTES July 27 - 28 The South Bendigo Football Netball Club invites you to journey through time with them for the 125th anniversary of the club.

EWE BEAUT July 20 - 22 The Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show is the world’s largest of its kind, and it’s not just for farmers. This annual meeting of ewe enthusiasts includes the Women of Wool and the Festival of Lamb. It’s a celebration of good food, fibre, Australian enterprise and fabulous fashion; the daily parades are a highlight and seats fill up fast! Other features include the national fleece competition, working dog demos and the country’s biggest fibre market; the perfect place to get your fix of winter woollies.

The Bloods are planning a big weekend of celebrations this July, starting with an exhibition of historic photographs in the clubrooms. Re-live the glory days of past premierships, memorable moments and the camaraderie of team mates. Share stories and add your own memories to the collection. On the Saturday the football and netball teams will battle old rivals Golden Square in front of what’s set to be a packedin crowd at the QEO. Stay on after the game to mingle with players and supporters, no matter the outcome. That night the 125th Gala Dinner will be a tribute to tall tales and legends at the All Seasons Hotel. For more information go to www.southbendigofnc.com.au

Photographer: Lucas Randall

THE WINTER BLUES

THREE’S COMPANY

FEELING BOOKISH?

June 16

August 10 - 12

Get on down to The Old Church on the Hill for the release of the album Honest Man by Aussie folk outfit John Flanagan Trio. With soaring three-part harmonies and tight arrangements, the band brings its dynamic and energetic live show to Bendigo. Co-presented by Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival and The Old Church crew, it will be an evening of moving, thoughtful, uplifting and humorous songs. The gig also includes support acts Mezz Coleman and Georgie Currie.

The good folk of the Bendigo Writers Festival look forward to sharing their love of books and writing again in 2018. This year’s program features over 100 guests and locals, including novelists, poets, science writers, journalists, documentary makers, songwriters and respected advocates - all ready to respond to the 2018 theme ‘let’s get curious’.

Go to www.bendigobluesandroots.com.au for details and tickets and to check out the full program of live music events leading up to this year’s festival in November.

This inspiring festival sees readers, writers, thinkers and dreamers pack out View Street’s artsy venues, plus the Ulumbarra Theatre for three days of inspiration. For the full program visit www.bendigowritersfestival.com.au

SPOTLIGHT ON BENDIGO August 29 – September 1 Two events will shine a light on heritage, arts and culture this season. The City of Greater Bendigo presents Enlighten from August 29 to 31. This festival of projection art will see the area between the Bendigo Town Hall and Rosalind Park become a canvas of sorts for experimental and surprising works by local artists that celebrate the region’s cultural diversity.

The festival’s artistic director David Atkins says Bendigo is without question one of Victoria’s most beautiful historic cities, and therefore ideal to host this now-iconic experience. “White Night will pay homage to that history, from the myths and legends of its Indigenous owners to its gold rush past, to its current vibrant arts and cultural community,” David says.

Come for Enlighten, stay for White Night on Saturday, September 1 from 7pm to 2am. This much-anticipated event has already proved a major success in Melbourne and Ballarat, and now it’s Bendigo’s turn. White Night is an overnight festival of light projections on historic architecture, as well as exhibitions, films, music and performance. In the capital it attracts 600,000 people annually and in Ballarat it led to 40,000 people packing the gold-era sister city.

Photographer: Joel Bramley 9

LOVE THE NEW LOOK Bendigo Food Store has been much-loved for its heartfelt warmth and hospitality as much as its food for over 50 years. And now it has a fresh new look to reflect that affection. Owners Luisa and Rob have just unveiled a modern logo with a touch of sweetness, perfectly reflecting their passion for what they do. This third-generation family business has been a staple along Strickland Road since the 1960s, famous for its southern Italianinspired food, made fresh daily. The couple say the store has seen many changes over the past few years, with the most recent being the new branding and instore redesign. “More importantly we are now much closer to achieving the true concept of a corner food store,” say the couple. “We’ve introduced deli items such as local and imported smallgoods, Simon Johnson products and imported cheese.

AN OASIS IN THE CITY Oasis Auto has a fresh new premises and a new look in Garsed Street. Long-time locals will remember the location as the former Ron Twitt shop, but they’d never recognise it now. There’s plenty of easy drive-in, drive-out parking and a stateof-the-art garage with all the bells and whistles to care for every make and model of vehicle. The site has been renovated to cater for Oasis’ team of expert mechanics and their customers – who will no doubt appreciate being in the CBD, just a stone’s throw from the Bendigo Marketplace. Drop the car off, then hop to the shops. Or, Oasis still offers a courtesy drop-off and pick-up service if needed. The business is backed by an Australia-wide Bosch service warranty and can help you out with new car services that won’t affect your warranty, brake and general repairs, wheel alignment and balancing, suspension and clutch repairs, battery replacement and those all-important pre-purchase checks. Check them out!

“We believe that our store is the only corner store in Bendigo offering specialty foods as well as quality eat-in and take-home meals.” The coffee is locally roasted, the bread locally handcrafted and the logo was too! “We’d like to say thanks heaps to Jason at Good One Design Bendigo for realising our new look. To date our new look and feel has been warmly accepted by long-standing customers though we have noted some new interest for which we are hugely grateful.” Call in to 40 Strickland Road, Bendigo East, to see it for yourself and enjoy true family values, outstanding food and excellent customer service. You can share the love too, as the food store can cater for any function.

PORTO BOOKCASE MARTIN COFFEE + SIDE TABLES GORDON 3 SEATER SOFA

OPEN 7 DAYS FROM 10AM 89-91 HIGH STREET | PH: (03) 5410 0644 VISIT US TODAY!

OZ DESIGN FURNITURE BENDIGO

www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au

Claudia Jungl and Adeline Sanders

Dave Rourke and Dorothy Skerry

Elsa and Dan Parry

Julie and Michael Hockley

Leanne Rosa and Karyn Wickes

Suzy Taylor and Tammy Boyd

STARS COLLIDE Music lovers gathered at the Star Cinema in May for food, drinks, film and live tunes to raise funds for the Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival. Crowd-favourite Grim Fawkner entertained the masses ahead of a screening of Gurrumul, celebrating the life of the late Indigenous musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.

s t a r g n Co o g i d n e B

W E N e h on t

O G I D N E B ! M U I D STA GO ONLINE OR CALL 1300 154 096

to net yourself a deal with Lumo! Key partner of

LE942.VIC.010618.p

NETBALL VICTORIA and the MELBOURNE VIXENS

lumoenergy.com.au/bendigo

ONE NIGHT ONLY

Cynthia Holsworth and Casey Barczynski

David, Jodie, Jaime and David Pillinger

Jade Cuskelly, Jenna Barton and Jessica Kennedy

Nay Aung, Abbi O’Connor, Rupert Maxwell, Tara Muscatello and Kody Auston

Sally and Ron Fredericksen

T’keiyah and Sharyn Eldridge

Some of the country’s theatre and opera greats staged the exclusive local performance, Footsteps, at Ulumbarra Theatre in May. Local artist and King Kong star Adam Lyon was joined by a host of contemporaries for the show, which raised funds for students of the Academy of Creative Arts.

Angus Barber and Will McGoldrick

Tracy Kidd, Susan Jennings and Claire Pertzel

Hannah Brady, Steph Woelfle, Ebonie Brennan and Justine Williams

Claudia Petri and Abbey Milligan

FUTURES PLANNED Catherine McAuley College students started thinking about life post-secondary school at the college careers night in May.

Kaitlyn Jenkins and Siahna Newland

Phillip Langley and Vinnie Murtagh

OPEN COLLEGE EVENTS Coolock Campus (Years 7 - 9) Principal’s Tours 9am Tuesdays 26 June, 31 July and 28 August or by appointment.

More than 200 stallholders were on hand to inspire students, from TAFEs and universities to industry, business and apprenticeship centre representatives.

2019 PROSPECTUS OUT NOW !

St Mary’s Campus (Years 10 - 12) Call to arrange a personal tour and find out about our VCE and VCAL pathways.

Enrolment enquiries & tour bookings: Mrs Audra Petri, College Registrar

5449 3466

A Ministry of Mercy Education Ltd

www.cmc.vic.edu.au

ABN 69 154 531 870

info@cmc.vic.edu.au

visiting hours

Lives are changed and families made multiple times a day at the Bendigo Hospital. Lauren Mitchell visits a place where love stories start. Welcome to the women’s ward – one of the few places at the Bendigo Hospital that many long to pass through. Since the new hospital opened in January 2017, births here have been steadily rising, thanks in part to the state-of-the-art facilities. In fact there’s one born every six hours and 30 minutes. On average. On a random visit on an ordinary morning, we meet one of the city’s newest arrivals, tiny Hamish John Kovesy. Talk about long to get here, Hamish’s parents Jodie and Evan waited 13 days past his due date to meet him, at 3am on Thursday, April 26. “All my jobs were done, the house was clean and everything was ready,” Jodie says. “Jodie’s nail polish started to chip off and the skirting boards got dusty again,” Evan adds. “But the waiting was a blessing in the end because we were really ready for him to come … and we both had a feeling we were having a girl, so he was a nice surprise.” In fact Hamish had kept his parents guessing from the start. When Jodie took the first pregnancy test, it read negative. The couple had booked to go out for dinner to celebrate good news. Evan says they went anyway and toasted to trying again. “But Evan knew before I did,” Jodie says. “Even though the test said I wasn’t pregnant, he felt 16

I was, and he was right. It was a very cruisy pregnancy, but I don’t like emphasising that,” she adds, acknowledging that others can have a more difficult time. The couple both work in the public health system – Evan is a physio and Jodie a podiatrist, so say it was a natural choice to choose the public hospital for their pregnancy. “And why wouldn’t you,” Evan says, referring to the new facilities, which include private rooms for everyone. “It’s like staying in a hotel, it’s been fabulous,” Jodie says. “And we were so impressed with the Mamta Program because we had that familiar face at each appointment.” Mamta allows women with lowrisk pregnancies to build a relationship with one midwife throughout their pre-natal, labour and post-natal care. Just 30 hours into Hamish’s life, the post-birth love and attention is well sorted. “He’s a really good time-waster,” Evan says. “Hours fly by and what have I done? Just held him.” “I think it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Jodie says. “I can’t believe they’re giving us a baby to take home.” Evan adds, “It’s a massive thing in our life and we’ll never forget it, and to think the midwives are just over there doing it again today…”

One of those midwives is Jen Elliston, who finds time to share her story between caring for women on the ward. Jen has been a midwife since 2004, first at the Royal Women’s Hospital and locally since 2007. A lot of Bendigo babies have been welcomed by Jen. “It’s something I’d wanted to do from when I was young,” she says. “When I was 14 my brother was born and I asked Mum if I could come to the birth. She said no, it’s not something I’d want to see.” Jen may not have witnessed her brother being born, but she did adopt a hands-on role during his babyhood. “I did lots of the caring – changing nappies, things like that.” However it wasn’t until the first of her three children was born that she decided to make things official, swapping from studying primary teaching to nursing, then midwifery. She says having her own child gave her more of an idea of a midwife’s role. For Jen, that role is very varied, as she now divides her time between midwifery and working as a maternal and child health nurse. “I predominantly work in the birth suite and a typical day involves caring for women in labour, receiving phone calls and attending to whoever is coming through the door at that time,” she says, adding there’s never a dull moment. “There isn’t really. Sometimes it’s so busy we’re rushing between tasks and were just getting busier and busier in Bendigo.” Jen says years of experience aside, the unqualified people at a birth are just as important as the midwives. “In labour, the best support can come from a person who has a connection with you and who can provide emotional support. We are there when needed and sometimes play a big role or sometimes stay in the background just making sure things are going along safely. “There’s a massive variation in the sort of support people have in the room. Some have the most supportive, amazing families and some people are doing it alone, even though there may be others there.” After 14 years in the job Jen has lost count of the babies she’s helped deliver and the ones remembered are usually the exceptional. “It’s usually when something major happens, those births stay in my memory more,” she says. “I often remember the sad times, when the outcomes for the baby or mother were not what was intended.” While details of the carefully-chosen names and tiny teacup faces may not register for long, Jen says every birth she assists with is extraordinary. “I still love it when the babies are born,” she says. “There’s a real joy at every birth and I always get involved in the feelings. It is ordinary in that I see the same things every day, and nothing surprises me in terms of bodily functions, but the actual birth event, that’s still not ordinary. Waiting for that baby to be born, I still feel anticipation, I still have the adrenaline. Afterwards everyone is on a high, we have a good laugh and get excited and join in the parents’ excitement. It’s definitely a privilege. It’s a real privilege.”

Midwife Anna Richardson is not rostered on today, but she’s in the ward regardless to visit one of her postnatal Mamta Program clients. She feels a special connection to these women and their babies. “I’m listening to that baby’s heartbeat at every appointment so by the time the baby is born I think, I’ve been listening to you for months,” she says. Anna graduated with a Bachelor of Midwifery from Western Sydney University three years ago. She studied as a mature-age student, having worked in hospitality and then insurance after secondary school. “In insurance, no one trusts you, you’re always seen to be out for people’s money,” Anna says. “The nice thing about midwifery is everyone trusts you. People believe you when you say you’re going to help them.” She says there can be a downside to that blind trust, which was one of her motivations for joining the profession. “I’m a feminist and that’s led me to be passionate about human rights in childbirth, which is still a major challenge in modern society,” she says. “We see women on company boards, in high-paying jobs and education, but when women come into hospital to have a baby, it’s like all of their rights are handed over. “There’s so much trust in medical professionals that women say they’ll do whatever you say is best for them. But every woman is different, and what one person feels is important to them is going to be completely different to how another person feels. A positive birth experience can be totally different for different women.” She says in light of this, she works hard to determine and help facilitate a woman’s expectations. And sometimes that’s in a matter of minutes. The day before we meet her, Anna assisted with three lightning-fast labours. One baby arrived just minutes after the mother arrived at hospital. “I didn’t even know the woman’s name,” she says, so quick was help needed. “But a hand on someone’s shoulder can do so much, and to say ‘everything’s okay, everything’s beautiful, just take it slowly and your baby will come when it’s ready’. Those words can be so powerful, to reassure someone it’s not an emergency, but a normal part of life… Any birth is not just another birth in your day, even with the women I don’t know. That baby will only have one birth and that mother may only have one, two or three in their life and that birth needs to be special.” Anna’s shift that day started with her running from the carpark at 4.55am to assist one of her Mamta mums. It was the woman’s second baby, her first being born with significant intervention. “She wanted a different experience, she wanted to see if she could do it on her own this time,” Anna says. “She roared her baby into the world, she was incredible. Afterwards she said, ‘I can’t believe I did that, look at me, I’m amazing’. It was an amazing moment of a woman realising what her body could do and we were all in tears.” That word ‘amazing’ is one repeated throughout the stories shared on the ward. So we’ll leave you with a couple more for good measure, when Evan turns to Jodie and says, “I’m very impressed. What you did was amazing. Very amazing.”

Nicole Murphy and Susan Kennett Dine Out at Masons

Jim Reid, Ian Watson, Sandra Wooley, Peter Faulkner and Dianne Craig Dine Out at Percy & Percy

DOLLAR PER DINER A host of top local restaurants and cafes generously took part in the Bendigo Health Foundation’s ‘Dine Out’ initiative in May. Venues donated $1 from each meal served during the dine out in support of the hospital campaign, giving locals even more reason to ditch the kitchen.

Kirsty Johnston, Janine Cugura, Amanda Lonergan, Tara Everist, Jane Anderson Dine Out at Rocks in Rosalind

Kiri and Kyle Morcombe Dine Out at Percy and Percy

Looking for a career change?

Amicus is always looking for new people with diverse skills and background to join our team. Imagine using the skills and contacts that you have learned in a completely different industry to assist in developing rewarding and fulfilling lives for people with a disability and their families. Flexible work hours and a variety of locations mean that no two days are the same, as you work with us to support one person at a time. Register via our website for our next careers information session: www.amicus.org.au 100 Queen Street, Bendigo 3550 8.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday (03) 5441 2666

Carla Lang, Kylie Clark, Anita Scicluna, Elizabeth Murphy, Justine Harrington and Janine Cugura

Adam Pinner, Christina Tibett, Kerryn Tibett, Xavier Ward and Alaric Tibett

Connor and Logan Nelson

LEGENDARY DAYS Desi Winiata and Jasmine Winiata-Taylor

Patrick Boylsonk, Kade and Jobe Hutchinson

Janelle Stevens and Megan Stevens

Paige Hamilton and Sophia Stewart

Myths and legends was the theme of this year’s Eaglehawk Dahlia and Arts Festival; an annual celebration of community, creativity, heritage and tradition. Once again thousands of locals and visitors enjoyed the likes of art and craft exhibitions, children’s rides, floral displays, relay races and one almighty march down the main street for a much-loved procession.

#GiveBack Thanks to Bendigo Health, Boort farmer of 50 years Neil Beattie is here today and proud to support the New Bendigo Hospital Appeal. “I had a bit of a hiccup with cancer and a heart attack. I was a sick boy, I shouldn’t be here except for the good work from Bendigo Health...” -Neil Beattie

There are many ways you can give back. To find out more call 1300 243 000 or visit: bendigohealthfoundation.org.au/giveback

the cybermum Who knew? Hold the blue light and the police box - a small corner of Castlemaine is Mondasian by design. By Sarah Harris As she graciously pours tea in the lounge of her Castlemaine home, it’s difficult to reconcile Alexandra Tynan as the mother of one of the most persistent enemies of mankind. Slight and stylish, she looks frankly like those petit fours that sit between us wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but this is the very woman who gave life to the Mondasian Cybermen … living, if you please, right under the nose of former Victoria Police Commissioner Christine Nixon, who she counts as a good pal. These days Alexandra regards the fearsome cyborg villains of the British science-fiction series Dr Who with amused affection. But when she was first drafted to work on the cult BBC television series as a young costume designer Alexandra, or Sandra as she was widely known, was not best pleased. The Belfast-born designer began her career working as a costume maker with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Glyndebourne Festival Opera before joining the ‘Beeb’ in 1964 as part of the influx of talent coinciding with the launch of BBC2. There she’d been happily buying Val Doonican’s (celebrated Irish singer and talk show host) signature jumpers and fitting out actors in period dramas when the roster changed and she plunged headlong into the world of the Time Lords faster than you could say TARDIS. “I shared an office with a costume designer (Daphne Dare) who was working on Dr Who and I used to say, ‘Oh God, I would hate to work on that show’ because I knew nothing about science fiction. Dancers and dramas were more my thing,” Alexandra recalls. “Then, one day, the manager of the department came round and said, ‘Now Daphne, I think it is time for you to come off Dr Who because you’ve been on it long enough’, and

then said to me, ‘Sandra, I think it is time for you to go on’.” Alexandra was assigned to work on The Tenth Planet, the 1966 series in which the Cybermen, created by Dr Kit Pedler and story editor Gerry Davis, famously made their debut. Given a brief description and a lightning lesson in the emerging science of cybernetics and the development of artificial body parts, Alexandra set about creating the cloth-faced creatures that, along with the Daleks, became the epitome of evil in a contemporary reimagining of the Frankenstein story. “Some might say I was responsible for the psychological damage to a generation,” Alexandra laughs. “But, really though, it all comes down to good beating bad. It is really the eternal fairytale in a new frock.” Many incarnations of the Cybermen (starting with Alexandra’s own redesign for The Moonbase, The Tomb of The Cybermen and much more contemporaneously in Peter Capaldi’s last episodes as The Doctor followed. But when she emigrated to Australia in 1968 she believed she had left the space-roaming bogeymen firmly in her past. “It was parked in a quiet little corner of my CV,” she reveals. “It didn’t really mean a lot to people out here then. When I first came to Australia the cultural cringe was well and truly alive and I had terrible

trouble finding work. People just didn’t want to know I had worked at the BBC and frankly I don’t think saying I designed a race of aliens would have helped.” However, Alexandra’s Australian career eventually took off and included lecturing in costume design, designing for film and television and also working in the corporate sector as a personal stylist. But her beloved Glyndebourne also called Alexandra home to the UK several times. Her last full-time role saw her employed as head of costume for the prestigious opera company, managing up to 30 staff. There, among many other achievements, she introduced the first Theatre Crafts Open Day. “I love working with students,” she says. “When you have had experience it is so great to be able to pass that on and also warn them of the stuff they will experience that they never hear about as undergraduates. “The stress levels are high, you work very, very long hours and you are often working right up to the last minute with difficult personalities. In theatre you get a longer run-up, but in film and television, because time is money and they don’t bring the actors in until the last minute, you often have to have stuff made for them without fittings and it can be a nightmare.” 26

Alexandra hasn’t done much work in film or television work in recent years for this very reason. “It got to the stage where I was standing in a paddock in the dead of night in wet conditions with people in period costumes whingeing about something, and I thought I have really had enough of this.” Instead, Alexandra is more likely to be found on the speaking circuit or at a sci-fi convention as an in-demand guest with a significant role in the development of one of the world’s most successful television franchises. “They (the Cybermen) first caught up with me in the early ‘80s when David Banks (who portrayed the Cyber-Leader in several episodes) wrote a book about them. It has now become a thing and I have been to conventions here and in New York, but it wasn’t until I did that one for the 50th anniversary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne I realised just how far globally it went. There were people from Russia lining up to get an autograph and have their photo taken with me. I have to laugh because it is so crazy, but it is such fun because they are such gorgeous people.” And as villains go many Whovians, and Alexandra herself, believe that the Cybermen have the edge on the Daleks as far as potential world domination. “Let’s face it, Daleks are stupid,” Alexandra says. “They have a very limited vocabulary and it took them an inordinate amount of time to figure out how to get up stairs.”

Private Respite at Freedom Aged Care

Kath and Karen, Freedom family

Freedom Aged Care’s private respite service is based on consumer directed care which places priority on the care needs and personal preferences of the individual client. For $49 - $99 a day respite residents enjoy their own private, fully furnished home with access to all the benefits of living in a Freedom community, including; • Case Manager to coordinate individualised care • Residents remain in control over how and when their care is delivered • Freedom care staff are onsite 24/7 • Fresh and nutritious meals prepared onsite • Access to a range of scheduled outings and activities, as well as lifestyle and diversional therapy programs • Couples can stay together • Small pets are accommodated. Client suitability • No ACAS/ACAT approval required • Low to moderate care needs (up to 10 hours of care weekly) The team at Freedom Aged Care work in conjunction with discharge planners and social workers to ensure a timely intake of new respite clients: - within 24 hours, you will have a response to your initial enquiry - within 48 hours, client’s initial assessment will take place Suitable clients can move in within 2-15 working days following assessment

Freedom Aged Care’s respite program is available in communities across Australia. For more information call us on 1800 572 347

Visit freedomagedcare.com.au/respite-care

Jasmine Winiata Taylor and Tanika Cook Hicks

Kara Vena Cava and Alex Hudson

Melanie Cheney and Ella Cheney

Saari Frochot-Ryan

Willow and Uquois Burgess

Xac Halliday, Pearl Tennant and Jess Kennedy

SWEET EASTER This year’s Easter procession was extra special, as it was Sun Loong’s last solo hurrah before the city welcomes a new dragon in 2019. Thousands again lined the streets to watch the dragon’s journey, along with all the colour and action that goes hand-in-hand with Bendigo at Easter time. The city’s creatives also put on a show with art and photography exhibitions, wood turning displays plus live and local music.

Open Day 2018 Melbourne | Sunday 5 August | 10 am – 4pm Bendigo | Sunday 26 August | 10 am – 3pm latrobe.edu.au/openday

CRICOS Provider 00115M DC34998 05/18

Find your clever at

Lyn Phillips, Jacqui Davison and Peter Davison

Ayla Seiter, Michelle and Millie Nuttall

AUTUMN FORAGING Tasman and Daniel Roche

Lorraine Beriman and Carrie McRorie

Dan, Belle and Jo Hames

Poppy Holden and Kelly Simpson

Locals filled their baskets at the Bendigo Farmers Market with all things fresh last season. And while the autumn apples and pears drop away winter greens now reign supreme. The market happens on the second Saturday of every month in Sidney Myer Place. It’s a chance to meet likeminded locals, connect with the region’s farmers and producers and lower those all-important food miles.

- AdvertIseMent -- AdvertIseMent AdvertIseMent --

Lisa Chesters MP - a strong VoiCe for Bendigo Lisa Chesters Lisa Chesters MP MP -- a a strong strong VoiCe VoiCe for for Bendigo Bendigo federal Member for Bendigo Ifederal am honoured to have been elected as the Federal Member for Bendigo. Member for Bendigo federal Member for Bendigo As your Federal to Member of Parliament, my office and I can provide a II am honoured have elected Federal Member for am honoured to have been been elected as as the the Member for Bendigo. Bendigo. As your Federal Member of Parliament, myFederal office and I can provide a wide range of services. As your Federal Member of Parliament, my office and can a wide range of services and support. As your Federal Member of in Parliament, my office and IIeither can provide provide a Please don’t hesitate to get touch with me anytime, at my office wide range of services. wide range services. on (03) 5443of9055 or by lisa.chesters.mp@aph.gov.au Please don’t hesitate to email get inat touch with me anytime, either at my Please don’t hesitate to touch with me Please don’t hesitate to get getorin inby touch with me anytime, anytime, either either at at my my office office office on (03) 5443 9055 email at lisa.chesters.mp@aph.gov.au on (03) 5443 9055 or by email at lisa.chesters.mp@aph.gov.au on (03) 5443 9055 or by email at lisa.chesters.mp@aph.gov.au

www.lisachesters.org Authorised by L Chesters, 16 Myers Street, Bendigo www.lisachesters.org www.lisachesters.org

sultan on fire

Dan Sultan speaks about creative collaborations and taking his music international, ahead of his Bendigo show at The Capital this winter. By Ben Cameron Dan Sultan’s career is about to enter uncharted waters.

have to deal with poaching and corruption on a daily basis.

Having just inked a US record deal, Sultan will have his first serious shot at breaking his sultry brand overseas, starting with a short promo tour in the States from late July.

“It was incredible, a real adventure,” he says. “I’d do it again in an instant if I had the chance. It was a beautiful thing.”

Followed by a few festivals in Scandinavia, the time is now for the soulful 34-year-old. “I actually haven’t done a lot of it,” he says of attempting to crack the international market. “I’ve done a few things here and there, and things have gone okay, but as far as getting in there, I haven’t had anything actually officially released there yet. “That’s all ahead of me. I guess we’ll just see what happens.” Sultan is hardly bullish about the international assault, and is tempering expectations.

Did it change your world view? “It’s pretty affirming in the sense that it’s remembering how fortunate I am, with everything I’ve been given,” he says. “Everything I’ve been given to work hard for.” It sounds like Sultan is working harder than ever; talking to Bendigo Magazine from the road, he’s in the early days of a 42-gig national tour, his biggest yet. Sultan says with the advent of social media, touring - and more importantly selling tickets - has got a touch easier. “We can put stuff up on socials... things tend to sell pretty well,” he says.

“It might not be anything... you know what I mean?

“It’s a bit less stressful. We know we’ll be doing okay with crowds and the bottom line as well.”

“I’m hoping it’s a big thing, but you just don’t know, you don’t know what people are going to get into or not get into.

Performing live remains stressful though, with Sultan admitting he still gets pre-show jitters.

“You’ve got to try it, you know, see what happens.”

“It’s always nerve-racking getting up on stage,” he says. “It’s a pretty personal thing, singing pretty personal songs.”

It’ll be the second big overseas trip for Sultan, who travelled to Uganda and Kenya late last year for charity The Thin Green Line’s Indigenous Ranger Exchange. It was a huge learning experience, with Sultan getting a feel for how African rangers 30

Not that Sultan minds. “The moment that I start to get comfortable, it’s when I need to change things up,” he says. “Try to do something to keep myself interested and to keep myself motivated, as

I’ve got a pretty short attention span. Not being nervous is scarier than being nervous for me.” It’ll be a stripped back version of Sultan on this tour, with just himself, a guitar and a piano. A Sultan gig with a full live band is nothing short of explosive, but he’s guaranteeing an evening to remember. “In some ways it’s a bit easier, I can take my time with stuff,” he says. “Slow things down or speed things up as I feel them. Sometimes it’s not as easy as you’ve got no place to hide.” In another first, his new EP Killer Under A Blood Moon has called upon industry friends to reinterpret some of his bestknown songs, including Gang of Youths frontman Dave Le’aupepe (Drover), A.B Original (My Kingdom), Meg Mac (Reaction) and Camp Cope (Killer). “It was a great opportunity to work with these people,” he says. “Some I knew better than others, but I was a fan of all of them. It all happened pretty organically in a nice way. There were no provisos, these are the people I want.” He says he wasn’t defensive with other musicians reworking his material. “I was really open to it,” he says. “I never really worried about it, or got defensive about it. But I’ve always been open to stuff like that, I’m not too closed minded.” Dan Sultan plays The Capital on June 29.

Ash Hampton, Rosie Neylon and Ruby Burke

Chloe Nelder and Joel Gundry

Jason, Jackson, Linda and Elyse Platten

Leah O’Shea and Sarah Feeney

Mark Laidler, Al Crow, Adam Amore and Nick Burchell

Melanie, Cheryl and Shirley Aquilina and Deb Redman

RELAXED RACES The Golden Mile Race Day at the Bendigo Jockey Club in April ditched the strict dress code in favour of relaxation and picnic rugs on the lawn. With kids’ entertainment, live music and lots of dining options, whole families gathered at the track, as did the punters. With more than $1 million in prizemoney, this premier sporting event draws a host of top horses to Bendigo.

DON’T JUST STUDY, BE INSPIRED At BSE College, we encourage every student to strive for excellence. Our record of educational success in the Victorian Curriculum F-10 supports this. Our caring, individual approach can involve students balancing academic needs with specialised curricula in the Academy of Creative Arts and Athlete Development Program. Application to these innovative programs close on August 31. Join us on a journey of discovery and be inspired for an exceptional future. Your success is our success.

5443 4522 | bse.vic.edu.au @bendigosoutheastcollege @bendigosoutheastcollege

Adam and Courtney Hazeldene

Nick Evans and Emma Lane

MOO TIME Daniel Wridgway and Jessica Telford

Siran Irkian-Wos and Stephanie Corsetti

Donnie Walker and Danica Orchard

Lia Bennett and Lucy Webster

Local and international acts such as Amine, Ball Park Music and Ella Hooper made for a stellar line-up at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Groovin the Moo. The all-ages festival has put Bendigo on the map for music lovers, with thousands of visitors joining the locals at the showgrounds for one almighty party, helped along by local service groups.

puppet love

Bendigo’s much-loved children’s storyteller Narelle Stone hands us a backstage pass to her amazing collection of characters. By Lauren Mitchell We’re at Narelle Stone’s Bendigo home, waiting to be ushered into the inner sanctum of Quirky Tales, lured by the promise of 100 puppets. “I was just de-bilbying,” Narelle says, peeling off ears and swinging open her front door onto a long Edwardian hallway. Yes, de-bilbying is likely not a term you’ve heard before. In fact Narelle probably just made it up. The storyteller has a habit of doing that. Making stuff up. If the glove doesn’t fit, so to speak, she’ll fashion it into a fearsome fish or the likes. “I couldn’t find a piranha puppet, so I made my own out of a green oven mitt, some polystyrene eyes and felt teeth,” Narelle says. “I can’t sew but it’s amazing what you can do with a hot glue gun.” But back to the bilby. It’s Easter when we visit and Narelle is busy developing her latest storytime routine for the hundreds of Bendigo children she entertains each week at Jenny’s Early Learning Centres. She’s on a mission to ban the bunny in favour of an Australian animal. She couldn’t find a bilby puppet, so is making her own costume. “Bilbies have pouches, so it makes sense that an Australian icon should be the Easter animal because they’ve got somewhere to put the eggs,” she says. “I’m slowly infiltrating…” Narelle has been entertaining the city’s kids for 10 years, since her business Quirky Tales took its first tentative steps during a cultural festival at the Bendigo Library. Narelle says looking back it probably wasn’t too politically correct to dress as an American Indian, but it was a hit and she was hooked. Today Narelle’s alter egos of Pirate Meg, Mermaid Meg, the Rainbow 34

Fairy and Jingle the Naughty Elf are legendary among local children. As are her puppets. But there’s a higher purpose to the fun and frivolity. Narelle started using puppets to support her storytelling to help engage a generation of children often more accustomed to iPads than open books. “Kids are very visual these days,” she says. “I am finding their attention spans are getting shorter and shorter and when I read them a book it’s sometimes really hard to keep their attention. I have to work hard, change my inflection, tone and volume, but if I bring out a puppet at the right time, I’ve got them. They’re right there. “Using puppets also teaches kids to respect animals and be gentle with animals, without putting actual animals through the experience. The kids can see you put your hand in the puppet but they still want to pat them – they believe they’re real.” In the hands of Narelle, they really do come to life. She says she’s always loved playing with puppets, even before she had an excuse to. “My collection started with a koala puppet bought from the Melbourne Zoo gift shop,” she says. “I was in the shop playing with it and people thought I had a real koala. That was it for me. That was in 2004, before I started my business.” The puppet collection is organised in categories of Australian animals, other animals, people and finger puppets. Many are from Bendigo toyshop Mr Goodtimes and made by the American company Folkmanis, who Narelle says make some of the best puppets in the world. “I used to buy puppets to go with my books but now I find a puppet and think, I’ll find a book to go with that,” she says. “I’m

always on the lookout for them. You don’t have to spend a lot, but I do.” Quirky Tales is a culmination of Narelle’s interests and talents. She grew up a bookish kid in Kerang who loved art and the operettas she took part in at high school. After moving to Bendigo she joined the local theatre company. “After school I didn’t know what to do,” she says. “I wanted to do art and I loved drawing, but my folio wasn’t good enough to get into uni, so I did a humanities course instead.” That was at La Trobe University’s Bendigo Campus. Part-time work in the uni library led to an ongoing job and Narelle spent the next 26 years in academic libraries. “I fell into the job really,” she says. A former colleague, Tammy Higgs, invited Narelle to perform that first storytelling gig as the Indian at the Bendigo Library. “Then Tammy said, you could do this as a business. I said, you’re kidding? Could I get paid to dress up and tell stories?” When Narelle’s not doing that, she’s often at home developing her ‘show’, finding new children’s books to share, making costumes, searching for puppets. Although one of the most prized in her collection

came to her, courtesy of her girlfriends, as a birthday gift. It’s a genuine Muppet puppet. “Turns out you can get a puppet made to look like you,” Narelle says. “My friends described me to the Muppet Company, obviously as a princess with long blonde hair. Fancy having a Muppet that looks like you. I’ve just made it in the world, obviously. I’ve been immortalised as a Muppet.” The kids don’t get to see this one, so consider yourself privileged here. Although for Narelle, the privilege as Bendigo’s storyteller to the kids is all hers. There have been many milestones along the way… Hosting Sam the Story Tram as part of the Bendigo Writers Festival and performing Peter and the Wolf with the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra being just a couple. “Really though, the highlights for me are the small ones,” she says. “It’s when you start telling stories to young children who aren’t interested and in the end they say ‘read it again’. They’re the nicest words I ever hear, ‘read it again’.” 36

Sherri and Ari Lawson

Glen Brown, Shane and Krystal Every

Isabella, Nikita and Mikayla Frost

Tasman Greenfield and Jack Lindsay

Phoebe, Amanda, Shelby and Darrin Cunningham

Miranda Hicks, Deborah and Courtney Keaveny and Krystle Wilks

HOME GROWN FUN Bendigo Homemaker Centre hosted a family fun day in March, with plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained between shopping for some super special deals. The highlight had to be the animal farm, although there was plenty of faux critters too from the roving balloonist.

Housed within the historic National Bank walls and overlooking Rosalind Park, Rocks on Rosalind provides modern dining, big city bar culture and an intimate escape.

Open seven days, lunch, dinner and drinks in between 12 View Street, Bendigo 03 5441 2222 rocksonrosalind.com

n N N

Laurie Bownan and Heather Kinmont

PeTEr paN 

Ebony and Khiaecia Kramer and Lauren Sumner

STUPA SHINES A M U S I C A LTheAILLUMIN8 DVEN TURE Festival

Katie and Jan Nelson and Val and Laura Stratford

Gaurav and Shivani

at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion celebrated peace and harmony through light sculptures, performances and fireworks.

peTEr PaN  Greg Milne and Charli and Jackie Crawford

Market stalls and vegan fare made for a great cultural experience. The 2018 festival was extra special, as the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace was welcomed home. The largest stupa in the western world rises from the bush north of Bendigo and extends a warm welcome to people of all beliefs.

A MUSICAL ADVENTURE

John Richards and Chris Butler

ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS AND SPECTACULAR PRODUCTIONS TO HIT THE ULUMBARRA STAGE

peTEr PaN  A MUSICAL ADVENTURE

14-16 JUNE • ULUMBARRA THEATRE

NEveR GROw UP Based on J.M. Barrie’s original play With permission from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

Music by George Stiles Lyrics by Anthony Drewe Book by Willis Hall

by arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd on behalf of Josef Weinberger Ltd. London

Book now at gotix.com.au

00 1

Season 2018

C M Y K

0 0 0 100

C M Y K

0 100 100 0

C M Y K

0 30 100 0

hit productionS preSentS

hotel sorrento

opera auStralia preSentS

C M by Y K

puccini

Wednesday 20 june 7pm ulumbarra theatre

saturday 28 july 7.30pm ulumbarra theatre

madame butterfly

100 72

hannie raySon 0 32

all the actors… formed a team of great strength, lifting the play off the stage and into our heads and hearts.

a man enchanted by the beauty of the east. a woman in love with the promise of the West.

- canberra times

C M Y K

0 0 0 100

Ann Cleeves Matt Haig Lemn Sissay Michael Ableman and Kitty Flanagan

Let’s get

Curious

Friday 10 Saturday 11 Sunday 12 August 2018

FULL PROGRAM AND TICKETS AVAILABLE MID-JUNE bendigowritersfestival.com.au

#BWF2018

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

for bookingS and to browSe our upcoming ShowS viSit gotix.com.au

position of trust

For this Bendigo Senior Secondary College alumnus, death is an inevitable part of life and a conversation we all need to embrace. By John Holton Bendigo Senior Secondary College alumnus, Jesse Cattell, knows his career choice is one that evokes strong and varied responses from the people in his life.

on the bus.” While age hasn’t been a barrier for Jesse in his chosen career, he has had to deal with people’s perceptions of what a funeral director should be.

“Every funeral should be unique and it’s our job to help families achieve that. One of the best parts of the job is learning about the person; hearing their stories.

“It’s understandable,” he says with a smile. “There aren’t too many guys in their early 20s working as funeral directors. It varies between people who are fascinated and want to know every detail of what I do, to those who don’t want to know at all. That’s the nature of death I think… it can still be a taboo subject.”

“It’s true that funeral directors have traditionally been older people and there is a perception that someone my age won’t have the maturity to cope with the job,” he says.

“When it comes to designing a funeral, I say if it’s legal it’s possible… like arranging a Harley Davidson to transport the coffin. That happened not so long ago.”

So how do you end up in the funeral business? Jesse certainly didn’t set out to become a funeral director. As a young man he was on a pathway towards accountancy and finance. But a week of work experience at William Farmer Funeral Directors in Year 10 stopped him in his tracks. “I enjoyed it so much I volunteered to work in the school holidays as well,” Jesse says. “When I started Year 11 at BSSC the Managed Individual Pathways team arranged for me to do a school-based apprenticeship. It meant I could complete my Certificate II in Funeral Operations and still spend three days at school each week.”

“But the reality is, I was eased into the business one small step at a time. In the beginning I washed cars, cleaned the chapel, assisted at funerals… but the whole time I was observing the experienced staff; watching how they interacted with families; listening to the conversations happening around me. “People in the community have seen me grow into the role, and I think that’s great.” Being younger also means Jesse is across new technologies and can bring those skills to an industry that is constantly changing and innovating. “We live-stream funerals all around the world,” he says. “We also have online tributes and engage in social media. We’re always looking for ways to use new technology.”

Jesse remembers Accountancy and Business Management as the subjects that pushed his buttons academically and have helped him the most in his chosen career.

Innovation also extends to the way people’s lives are celebrated. For Jesse it’s about being there, fully, for the families who walk through the door; a kind of extended family during a really challenging time.

“The teachers were so passionate that it made me passionate,” he remembers. “My Accountancy teacher and Advisor, Steve Boyle, used to say ‘You’re either on the bus or off the bus’. That really stuck with me. I think that’s the key to lifelong learning… staying

“Some people have a definite plan for what they want a funeral to be, but many people don’t,” Jesse says. “It’s so important that people talk about their wishes in advance, but for many people that’s still a difficult conversation.

Jesse would like to see death spoken about a lot more freely and often. Part of his role at William Farmer Funerals is to engage with the local community and make the funeral industry more transparent. “We run community events like the Biggest Morning Tea for the Cancer Council, open days for the broader community, and even tours of the facility for school groups,” Jesse says. “We have these incredible facilities, and it’s important that we’re a community hub rather than just a place people come for funerals.” One of the challenges for a young person in the funeral industry is the all-encompassing nature of the job and Jesse admits that most days he finds it hard to ‘leave work at work’. “It’s probably something I need to get better at,” he says. “But you always want the best for the families you’re caring for. There’s not a lot of downtime, and my social life does suffer sometimes, but I have no regrets. The rewards definitely outweigh the sacrifices. “People place so much trust in me and to have that responsibility is humbling and a real privilege.” 41

DID YOU KNOW? Bendigo Health has been providing residential aged care services to the Bendigo community for more than 160 years. Our dedicated staff provide quality care for your loved one through every stage of the ageing journey. Outstanding opportunities are available to join our residential aged care services team.

BENDIGO HEALTH’S RESIDENTIAL SERVICES: • Carshalton House • Golden Oaks Nursing Home • Joan Pinder Nursing Home • Simpkin House • Stella Anderson Nursing Home

www.bendigohealth.org.au/careers

lessons in life

Seven years ago Golden Square local Peter Thompson answered a call to help Buddhist monk and Karen refugee Ashin Moonieinda with his English skills. This year they celebrate Moonieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completion of a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Community Development. By Lauren Mitchell

MOONIE Ashin ‘Moonie’ Moonieinda spent his early childhood on the family farm in a Burmese village, before his parents sent him to the city to study at a monastery at the age of nine. “In our village there was a lot of fighting,” he says. “Every day. My parents were worried about my future life so they sent me away to become a monk.” By his early 20s, like tens of thousands of his fellow minority Karen community, Moonie was forced into a refugee camp on the Thai/ Burma border, biding time in extreme poverty. He says with no employment and low education, life in the camp fostered poor health, hunger and much suffering. Tiny bamboo houses had to be re-made every year and each person received just four kilograms of rice per month to survive. “Everyday life in the camp for me was a bit different to other people as I’m a monk,” Moonie says. “Every morning was spent chanting and praying. The day times were spent at a monastery teaching people about Buddhism. But life was very, very hard. I waited for nearly eight years to get out and it was very tiring waiting.” Moonie was sponsored to come to Bendigo, arriving on May 17, 2007, just two weeks after the first six Karen refugees arrived in the city. Today, there are almost 2000 Karen people here. When Moonie arrived, despite being a teacher in his home country, he soon realised he’d need one himself. “When I lived in the camp I learnt about speaking English for a few months but when I came here I didn’t understand anything,” he says. “I met Peter in early 2012. There was a story in the paper advertising that I needed a volunteer to help to improve my English because the person who was helping me was going overseas.” Once his reading, writing and speaking skills improved, Moonie took the leap to enrol in university to achieve a Bachelor of Arts. “I wanted to get the experience,” he says. “To learn about society in Australia and to get more knowledge. I’ve learnt a lot about Australian people and especially Aboriginals and how our modern way of life is affecting them. “I’ve learnt many things from Peter. Because he is an Aussie, when I visit his home I don’t have to take my shoes off. I’ve learnt about his family. Because I’m a monk I have a different life, but I’ve learnt how a family stays together. I’ve learnt that Aussie and Karen families are similar, the only difference is culture. “Peter is very, very friendly to me. He teaches me like a parent. In my culture teacher and parent are on the same level. Mostly we’re like a family in our heart.”

PETER Peter Thompson grew up in North Bendigo, completed his schooling at White Hills Technical College, then began working at Australia Post. After 26 years in the postal service Peter then worked as a courier driver before a bad back put him into early retirement. The husband, father and grandfather was working part-time when he read that newspaper article calling for someone to help. “And I thought, why not? I’ll give it a go,” he says. “I wanted to do something for somebody. I wanted to help somebody and helping them with their English seemed like a good idea at the time. At first I thought I was going to teach a group of people. I didn’t know I was going to meet Moonie. I’m glad I did.” Peter says with no prior teaching experience, he used his common sense and started instructing his new student word by word, which progressed to reading books together and gently correcting Moonie when he stumbled. He was by Moonie’s side throughout the six years it’s taken to complete the degree, helping edit his work. The time they spend together each week, however, has covered 46

many more topics than grammar and punctuation. “Sometimes we practice meditation and we talk about the Buddhist way,” Peter says. “I’ve learnt about the Karen culture. Moonie wants to keep the culture alive in Bendigo for the Karen people. “I’ve learnt that the basis of Buddhism is the four noble truths and the eight-fold path. Basically if you can follow that you’ll be a lot happier. I do meditate now and it’s helped me to relax. I think I’m not as quick to anger as I once was. It helps you to relax when you’ve got things going on in your life.” Moonie’s home in Long Gully, with its many family members, and its makeshift Buddhist temple in the backyard shed, has become like a second home for Peter. “I’m always treated with respect here and nothing is too much,” he says. “Moonie will do anything for you. I like to come here. He’s taught me more that I’ve taught him.” The pair are humble about the university degree they’ve achieved together, but they say a good way to celebrate would be a trip to Burma. Peter hasn’t been overseas since his travels throughout Asia in the 1970s. “I’d like to go to Burma,” he says. “We talk about it often. One day we will.”

WE DDI NGS PRIVATE FUNCTIONS CONFE RE NCE S C ONCE RTS & FE STI VAL S SPE CI AL EVE NTS

To arrange an appointment to view our venue and discuss your wedding or function requirements please call Jenny on 5448 4209 or email j.rawiller@bendigo.countryracing.com.au |

Bec Fisher, Luke Brophy and Katy Kijek

Charles, Ned and Banjo Ramsay

Paula Willson, Paula Gething and Silvia Bugay

Lila, Christa and Ava Tadich

Michelle Taylor and Neil McKinnon

Ruby, Freya, Johno and Bridget Shepstone

READY, SET, RAN A host of fitness fans conquered O’Keefe in April, taking on the 50km trail as part of this annual fun run. The O’Keefe Challenge celebrates health, nature, family fun and community spirit. The path of the original 1888 railway takes you from Bendigo to Heathcote through box ironbark bush, scenic farm land, over the Coliban River and past Lake Eppalock. It’s a unique way to see the region, plus sets the scene for this great race across the goldfields.

BSSC 2018 - Open Day Bendigo Senior Secondary College is a leader in secondary education and provides the largest range of VCE, VET and VCAL options in Victoria. Tour the college facilities, access information about the wide range of programs available, and attend presentations to help you make the very best choices for your 2019 study program.

Join us at the Ulumbarra Theatre foyer Sunday 29th July from 10:30am to 1:30pm and discover a world of choice. C O N TACCO T UNSTAC T U S 61 3 5443 1222 facebook.com/bendigoseniorsc Bendigo Senior facebook.com/bendigoseniorsc Phone 61 3 Phone 5443 1222 Bendigo Senior www.facebook.com/bendigoseniorsc www.twitter.com/ bendigoseniorsc Fax 61 3 5441 Fax4548 61 3 5441 4548 twitter.com/bendigoseniorsc twitter.com/bendigoseniorsc Secondary Secondary College College instagram/bendigoseniorsc gplus.to/bendigoseniorsc admin@bssc.edu.au Email admin@bssc.edu.au gplus.to/bendigoseniorsc Rosalind Park, Rosalind Bendigo Park,Email Bendigo www.youtube.com/user/bendigoseniorsc youtube.com/user/bendigoseniorsc Web www.bssc.edu.au Web www.bssc.edu.au youtube.com/user/bendigoseniorsc PO Box 545,PO Bendigo Box 545, Bendigo VIC 3552 VIC 3552

Ben Duncan, Ben Hogan, Stephen Jeffery and Darryl Jeffery

Paul Gray, Andrew Campbell, Matt Shanahan and Tim Daikin

TEE OFF FOR OTIS

David Daly, Chris Bone, Darrin Yates and Rob Herbert

John Archibald, Dave Gibbs, Scott Samson and Chris Egan

Denis Lobb, Michael Mooney, Wayne Kilby and Andrew Carter

Jeigar Hynes, Michael Sokolowski, Adam Ward and Clinton Hay

BEST WESTERN CATHEDRAL MOTOR INN Situated 500m from the CBD and adjacent to the beautiful Sacred Heart Cathedral • Featuring 31 spacious rooms • Wireless broadband and complimentary Austar • All rooms include a queen size bed with spa rooms available • Breakfast service available

96 High Street, Bendigo p: 03 5442 5333 | www.cathedralmotorinn.com.au

Paul Gray Builders took out this year’s OTIS Foundation Golf Day in a line-up of close to 30 teams. The fun day on the green is a major fundraiser for OTIS, which provides retreat accommodation at no cost to women with breast cancer and their families. General manager Rachel Mason said the event was also a great opportunity to thank supporters. “The contribution each year of our volunteers, led by Grant Hoppe and the team from Bendigo Toyota, is no doubt part of the reason for the event’s success,” Rachel said.

lean green machines Imagine travelling from Bendigo to Alice Springs on just one litre of petrol. Locals Lucas and Robin Kirby, and the Girton Racing Team, are proving it’s possible, thanks to the quest to compete in international energy efficiency races. By Alex Fisher It’s often said teachers’ children become teachers and nursing runs in families too. Doctors often have kids who go into the medical field and engineering is known to run in the blood. So when Lucas Kirby told his father Robin - a former Australian drag racing champion - that he wanted to take part in an international fuel efficiency competition for high schools and universities, Robin momentarily raised his eyebrows. And then he rolled up his sleeves. Drag racing involves racing high-powered purpose-built vehicles over a short, straight 400m course and, from a standing start, pretty much flooring it to the finish line. There is usually plenty of burning rubber, tyre screeching and on occasion, flames to accompany the short-but-high-octane spectacle. And in contrast to Lucas’ competition-of-interest, it burns a lot of fuel. Robin began competing in drag racing in 1982 at the age of 25. His first competition was at Ballarat in a 1933 Dodge street rod. “It was a bit of surprise to win in Ballarat at that first meet but it was a lot of fun and I loved the adrenaline rush,” he says. “It was the start of something bigger and I have built six street rods, all 1933 Dodges, since that time.” Robin ended up becoming the Australian drag racing champion, cracking the big time in 1999. Fast forward to 2018 and racing is still in his blood. These days it’s much quieter, a little less spectacular, but every bit as challenging and, as something that he does side-by-side with his son, immensely satisfying. 50

In 2011, Lucas and Robin attended the Maryborough RACV Energy Breakthrough, where Lucas was racing in a Human Powered Vehicle for Girton Grammar School. Following the event, Robin suggested the Girton team build a petrol-powered vehicle to compete the following year. They did just this and won, inspiring the national drag racing champion to go lean and green. The win at Maryborough served as a catalyst for future fuel-efficient vehicles designed and built by the Girton team, under the drive of Lucas and Robin, and they went on to win the Maryborough event three years running. Lucas graduated from Girton in 2016 and now runs his own business (LPK Design), designing and building energy-efficient vehicles, alongside studying a degree in Automotive Engineering at RMIT University. “I am currently juggling study and my business, which I run from the workshop shed at the back of my parents’ place in Bendigo,” he says. “I am keen to work with students to build more vehicles for the Girton Racing Team using the current mould, so that will take up most of my weekends and university holidays. “What I have learned through being involved in the Girton Racing Team has put me in an incredibly advantageous position at university. Most of what we are currently studying I have already put into practice in some way. “Ultimately, I hope to design vehicles and systems for Formula 1 race cars and when I finish my degree, I will most likely head to Europe to become immersed in the international race scene.” Following the

three-year running streak in the petrolpowered category in Maryborough, teamKirby constructed a petrol/electric powered vehicle for the 2015 Energy Breakthrough. An impressive win resulted and in the same year the duo travelled to the Philippines to experience the Shell Eco Marathon Asia, to get a gauge on what might be required to build a competitive energy efficient vehicle at the international level. The Girton Racing Team has since been selected for the past three years to compete in the Shell Eco Marathon - the only Australian high school team to take part. Some of the father-and-son design features are amongst the best in the world. This year in Singapore, in its battery/electric vehicle, the team travelled the equivalent of Bendigo to Alice Springs on just one litre of petrol. “For the nine students, myself, Lucas and the Girton staff involved, the experience is unrivalled,” Robin says. “I believe we have the potential to place in the top three internationally, but we need to take 10 per cent off the weight of the vehicle and we need to get the motor controller built and tested. A lighter driver would be ideal too and we would like to take a female driver with us to compete internationally.” Robin believes the opportunities for the Girton Racing Team reach well beyond the track into the classroom. With nine technology subjects on offer, students are able to breathe life into what they learn from textbooks, but his passion is personal. “The best thing about being involved in all of this is that it has allowed me to spend so much time with Lucas,” he says.

Jodie Harrington, Linda Cramer and Lesley Costello

Kerry Ryan, Dianne Kennedy, Ree Patching and Kathy Sheridan

Leanne Walsh and Corinne Scullie

Nicole Everitt and Kate Donald

Pamela and Wes Vine

Natalie Pelly, Lauren Richardson and Alana Vaughan

WOMEN’S BUSINESS Mother’s Day was the ideal opportunity for local women to gather for a little pampering and mutual support. Bendigo businesswoman Margot Spalding hosted the OTIS Mother’s Day Celebration, a highlight of which was guest speaker Margot Falconer sharing her own experience as a staunch OTIS supporter and of recently being diagnosed with breast cancer. The evening’s ticket sales will help The OTIS Foundation provide retreat accommodation to people dealing with breast cancer.

QUALITY BLINDS FOR THE BUSY HOME Holland & screen roller blinds | Plantation shutters Roman & Honeycomb blinds | Drapes & sheer curtains Ziptrak & external blinds

www.shadyblinds.com.au

Jared: 0437 775 313

Brett Steele and Lisa Hatthorpe

Damien and Macy Browning

PEPPERGREEN BLOOMS Ellen Gammon and Paul Walton

Tony, Thomas, Marcus and Kellie Marasco

Samuel Marston and Katie Jones

Susie O’Shea and Oscar Thomas

There’s no fresher market fare than the sort you pick yourself. Visitors to PepperGreen Farm’s opening community market of 2018 had first pick of the produce. The now-weekly market also features stalls in the garden, art in the studios and coffee and lunch from the kitchen. This true paddock-to-plate experience encourages everyone to eat fresh and local and support the community.

Simply Better Service LOCATED WITHIN CBD / NEW CAR WARRANTY SERVICING / BRAKE & GENERAL REPAIRS AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS & SERVICES* / WHEEL ALIGNMENT & BALANCING SUSPENSION AND CLUTCH REPAIRS / PRE PURCHASE CHECKS / BATTERY REPLACEMENT

P: 5444 0060

52 GARSED ST BENDIGO *ARCTICK AUTH AU10113

www.oasisautobendigo.com.au

Beautiful gifts l

Discover quality souvenirs made in Bendigo and region. Indulge with artisan gifts and delicious treats to take home and savour your Bendigo experience. Unearth the stories of our history makers from gold to food or artists spaces with our broad range of local authors. www.uniquelybendigo.com.au

MAY 2 – JULY 29, 2018 Three artists from Bendigo and region present a distinctive exhibition of paintings, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, sculpture and furniture. Accent on Design brings together the striking textile designs of Natalie Ryan, together with the bold and textural creations by visual artist Nici Wright and elegant furniture handcrafted in fine timbers by Martin Coman.

BENDIGO VISITOR CENTRE Open 9am to 5pm daily (except Christmas Day) 51-67 Pall Mall, Bendigo • 03 5434 6060 • tourism@bendigo.vic.gov.au www.bendigotourism.com • #Explore Bendigo

the rescue remedy It didn’t take Flash the staffy long to convert our federal pollie into a pooch lover and she says the benefits of owning a pet have been immense. By Lisa Chesters - Photograph by Ashley J Taylor There’s no doubt Bendigonians love their pets. The City of Greater Bendigo has one of the highest levels of companion animal ownership in Victoria, with more than one third of households being home to pets. Our local dog park in Strathdale is so popular that there is demand for more. Last year the council announced the creation of three new dog parks to be built in the City of Greater Bendigo – an amazing initiative. The council is also investing in footpaths, walking tracks and parks to ensure there’s space for everyone to get out and enjoy a walk with or without their dog. During a recent visit to Lake Weeroona, my mate Flash was able to meet up with Mindo, Ciara and Amber. Watching Flash interact and play with other dogs, I was reminded that unfortunately not all dogs are so lucky. Sometimes owners can no longer care for their animals, some have found their pets too hard to look after or sometimes animals are simply not wanted. In these cases, there is often significant risk to the welfare and safety of animals and that’s why we need the toughest of laws to deal with mistreatment and animal cruelty. Stopping animal cruelty is one of the issues that I receive a lot of correspondence about. It is an issue local, state and federal legislators must all work on together to combat.

In 2016-2017 the RSPCA took in 135,872 abandoned animals. Knowing how many animals are abandoned each year, when my partner Matt made the decision to get a dog he made the ethical and responsible choice to adopt from the RSPCA rather than go to a pet shop or breeder. Matt found our staffy Flash at the Bendigo RSPCA and he has been a wonderful addition to our family. The staff and volunteers were very helpful and supportive, providing us with great advice as to what sort of dog would be a good match for us and what to expect in the first few weeks as we all got to know each other. I will admit, prior to meeting Flash I was not really a dog person. But Flash has such a great personality he won me over! Matt and I have very busy lives. It is great to get home at the end of the day, pick up the leash and take Flash for a walk. Even if it is just around the block, walking Flash is the perfect excuse to take some time out and recharge. Researchers are increasingly looking at the many health benefits of owning a dog. For instance, the Department of Health recommends adults get between two-anda-half to five hours of moderate exercise per week. Research has shown that dog owners are more likely to hit that goal. In fact our pets are such positive influences on our lives that one study found Australian ownership of cats

and dogs saved approximately $3.86 billion in health expenditure over one year. RSPCAs and other animal shelters play a vital role in the protection and care of animals. It can sometimes be a heartbreaking job and without the dedicated staff and volunteers, many animals would not have the happy outcome that Flash had. Without volunteers and financial donations, local animal shelters and rescue organisations would struggle to survive. Bendigo RSPCA is currently looking for volunteers to help transport animals in its care. If you can help, please contact RSPCA Victoria on 9224 2222 or email volunteer@rspcavic.org.au If owning and caring for a pet is not your thing, then don’t. Instead, consider donating to the RSPCA. There are many different ways you can give – a one-off donation, an ongoing donation, a gift in your will or even the donation of your time. More details about how to give can be found here: www.rspcavic.org/giving/donate Before buying a new pet or speaking to a breeder, visit your local RSPCA or animal shelter. You may just find your next best friend waiting to meet you, like we did. Finally, don’t forget to say hello to Flash if we cross paths out walking one day – he loves making new friends. 55

well read and ready Readers, writers, thinkers and dreamers are once again set to take over View Street for the Bendigo Writers Festival, but first, a little light reading for you... By Lauren Mitchell Spoiler alert. If you’ve been counting down with the Bendigo Writers Festival’s book a day campaign, you may not have gotten up to Anne Cleeves yet, but we’ve got a little scoop: the crime-writing sensation is heading our way. Festival communications officer Cecile Shanahan started tempting the bibliophiles from May 1, 100 days out from the festival, with a daily social media drip feed of who’s on this year’s program. “It’s a cliché but there really is something for everyone,” Cecile says of the 100 sessions planned. “I think we’ve covered every possible topic that’s ever been written about in a book. And there’s some very bigname international authors coming this year.” Anne Cleeves is certainly one of them. The English author of the Vera and Shetland books is loved the world over by readers and TV audiences – both series have been made into television dramas. Talk about drama – the final book in the Shetland series, featuring much-loved investigator Jimmy Perez, will be made available first in Bendigo. “The publishers are bringing the release forward for our 56

festival,” says director Rosemary Sorensen. Cecile laughs about her current bedside reading pile being “impressive”. “I’m definitely reading the ones I’m interviewing,” she says, which this year is four authors. “I try to read their whole back catalogue as well as the book they’re talking about.” Rosemary says she aims to read as widely as possible, starting a year out, and is always disappointed she has to limit the invitation list to around 150 writers and presenters. “We look for what’s popular, what’s new, what’s making waves,” she says. “I know people love crime fiction and I really love moral crime fiction, where the characters are complex. As for Anne Cleeves I wanted to know how that woman develops those amazing characters, and the places, and how the real places she chooses influence the fictional characters.” Anne will feature at the Friday night opening event, as well as on the Sunday afternoon Crime Gang session with Mark Brandi, Michael Robotham and debut novelist and Macedon Ranges local Susi Fox, chaired by Robert Gott.

EVENTS TO BOOKMARK Other standouts among the visiting authors to this year’s Bendigo Writers Festival for Rosemary and Cecile include John Flanagan, Gareth Evans, Alannah Hill, Emily Maguire, Bruce Pascoe, Charlotte Wood and Michael Ableman. Considered a pioneer of organic farming and urban agriculture, Michael Ableman travels the world advocating for others to adopt an ethos of everyday people growing their own food. His latest title of four books is Street Farm: Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope on the Urban Frontier. It’s the story of residents in one of the worst urban slums in North America who created an urban farm as a means of addressing the chronic problems in their neighbourhood. Michael writes of recovery, land, food, people and of the power of farming as a way to heal our world and ourselves. Also, in a first for the festival the Sunday program will feature a Share Fair in the Trades Hall, run by The Small Press Network. It will be an opportunity for festival goers to swap books in the spirit of conviviality the festival is now renowned for.

In a coup for the region she’ll also launch Goldfield Library Corporation’s redevelopment of the Boort Library. “The people of Boort will get to meet an international crime writer,” Rosemary says. “We’re hoping it will be quite special.” The festival’s influence reaches far beyond View Street for those three days in August. For Cecile it’s been a springboard to engage the region’s children in literature. One of the English teacher’s many and varied jobs involves coordinating the Vox Bendigo Book – Young Writers Anthology, a publication of poetry, stories and essays written by primary and secondary students. For the initiative’s first year in 2016, the competition received 80 entries. This year there’s been 230. “Working in schools, I knew what was possible,” Cecile says. “It’s quite amazing to see the diversity in the entries. We have kids from even tiny little schools around the region all looking forward to it every year.” The hard work of short-listing entries, editing and publishing a book culminates in one very special launch party for all involved. “The lovely thing about it is seeing the families’ reactions – they openly enjoy having a published author in the family and they just radiate with pride, it’s just lovely,” Cecile says. What may not be lovely however is the contents of Anne Cleeves’ final Shetland book, Wild Fire. “She’s threatened to kill off Jimmy Perez,” Rosemary says. You’ll read it first in Bendigo. 57

Brands Brands

wares wares

ntastic Furniture, ntastic Furniture, dairs. dairs. nder a NEW NAME! entre) nder a NEW NAME!

entre)

Featuring all yo

Favourite

in furniture, hom and lifestyle!

Only 7 mins from central Bendigo!

Including Early Settler Focus on Furniture an

The same friendly face

(Formerly Rocklea Homemak

239-249 HIGH ST, K

Your favourite brands in Favourite Brands Featuring all your Featuring all your

Favourite Brands

in furniture, homewares in furniture, FURNITURE HOMEWARES AND LIFESTYLE and lifestyle!homewares Only 7 mins from 7 central Only mins Bendigo! from central Bendigo!

and lifestyle!

Including Early Settler, Fantastic Furniture, Including Settler, Focus on Early Furniture andFantastic Adairs. Furniture, Focus on Furniture and Adairs. The same friendly faces under a NEW NAME! (Formerly Rocklea Homemaker The same friendly faces Centre) under a NEW NAME! (Formerly Rocklea Homemaker Centre)

239-249 HIGH ST, KANGAROO FLAT. 239-249 HIGH ST, KANGAROO FLAT.

WWW.BENDIGOHOMEMAKERCENTRE.COM.AU 239-249 HIGH ST, KANGAROO FLAT

an artist's

life anew

Lauren Mitchell spends a morning in the creative company of Patricia Harry; artist, ex-Sydneysider and octogenarian.

When Patricia Harry received an OAM in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours list, the Daily Telegraph described her as “one of the great characters of the Australian cultural landscape”. So what a treat to find the artist on our doorstep. Around the same time as the announcement Patricia packed up her life’s work and worldly possessions and moved from Sydney to a place she’d never heard of: Eaglehawk. It’s been 12 months since Patricia, her son Michael Carr and his pooch Tally, settled into one of the borough’s historic Victorian houses, with an ancient weeping elm out the front and a shed-cum-studio out the back. Both of which sold Patricia on the property. “The house was brown inside. Can you imagine? I could see it white,” Patricia says. “I thought I could spend a bit of money on it and it’d be a gorgeous place. And it needed it. It needed looking after, this place. Really, I bought the tree in the front yard. The 140-year-old heritagelisted tree. I talk to it every day.” Patricia and Michael were looking to leave Sydney for a more affordable life, yet still be close to a capital. So Bendigo it was, despite the fact they’d never been here before and didn’t know a soul. 59 59

“We just came,” Patricia says. “We were only here for three days and had looked at a few houses but we saw this and thought, this would have to do. It had the room I could paint in and the house had potential. It’s rather lovely now, I love it. It must have been a marvellous spot during the gold rush. That’s why I love it. It’s got a lot of history. It exudes it out of its bones. “We love Eaglehawk. When we bought this place we didn’t know there was such a thing as ‘the bridge’. It’s ridiculous that people in the top end of town have these funny ideas,” Patricia says of the tiresome attitudes of some towards the suburb. “I’m happy. Very happy here. The people are so friendly. I was glad to get out of Sydney. It got so expensive I couldn’t afford the studio space so I sold my little flat and got out.” Patricia had spent the past 20 years living near Kings Cross and painting from a rented studio in Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west. Originally she was surrounded by fellow creatives, who one by one became squeezed out by the new affluent class. She says people with money have homogenised many of the once character-filled parts of the city, to their detriment. Patricia began painting in the 1960s, as a mother with four children in Wollongong. She taught art at the local technical college before lecturing at the Canberra School of Art, fostering a notion of art as a response to life. “It’s about life. The human condition. It all comes out in art. I’m so sick of political art, it’s just a pain in the arse,” she says in response to changing arts education. “Sometimes artists get too precious – maybe I shouldn’t say that – you’re not allowed to have fun in art!” Alongside her teaching a private arts practice flourished. In over 50 years Patricia has exhibited in around as many solo and group shows. Today, some of the fruits of this prolific career adorn the freshly-painted walls of this house. Paintings from the past five decades and the many styles and themes Patricia has explored colour the home. From abstracts to figurative work to sculpture.

Her most recent exhibition, Heads Up, at Sydney’s Janet Clayton Gallery last year, showed a selection of large-scale abstract heads – heads being a long-time preoccupation of the artist. “I loved doing them. They’re the people of Sydney. They go into your head because you’re looking at people all the time. There’s five million of them there.” Two share a canvas in the back living room. “I’ve never had this hung before. People say it’s too aggressive but it isn’t. They’re just husband and wife,” Patricia says, laughing. Her ‘wolves’ paintings come from a Grimms’ Fairytales-inspired series. “They’re basically paintings of human beings attached to wolves’ bodies - there are plenty in parliament like that. There are! And all the big CEOs. Don’t tell me otherwise.” The natural world has also influenced her. Patricia speaks of journeys into the outback, and particularly Lake Mungo in NSW, the world’s oldest known cremation site. “I used to try to get the energy out of the earth and the energy of the people who lived there would come to me. All those places have it for me. I don’t like nice countryside.” Wellthumbed folios of charcoal drawings from those days in the dust are shelved among walls of books. Of late Patricia has added digital art to her repertoire, experimenting with an iPad app. She says her work is always evolving, and now it’s Bendigo’s turn to steer it. “I knew my work would change instantly, coming from the big city to this place,” she says. “It was different in Sydney. I was doing more figurative work and now I’m going back to abstracts. It’s because of the sky. The huge open spaces. I never saw the stars in Sydney, they just weren’t there. “There are changes ahead. I’m 86, unfortunately, but it’s about your attitude. I think retiring is the most devilish thing you can do. You’ve got to do something… It’ll be interesting to see what eventuates. It’s exciting. It’s another adventure. It might be the most exciting time of my life.”

AUSTRALIAN GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

AFTERNOON AT THE

A MUSICAL SPECTACULAR THE BLUE DANUBE

IAN

ORCHESTRA

COOPER

Opera Singers - Prima Ballerinas - Australian Champion Pipe Band evoke the sheer exuberance of THE PROMS in concert

Rule Britannia, Land of Hope & Glory, The Can-Can

Selections from: Carmen, The Merry Widow, Sound Of Music, My Fair Lady, Johann Strauss II and other favourites

The ACE Award winning “Best Production Show” in Australia

ULUMBARRA THEATRE BENDIGO Sun 21st October 2018 - 2pm Show BOOKINGS 03 5434 6100 | ONLINE WWW.GOTIX.COM.AU TICKETS: ADULT $85 | CONC: $81 | GROUPS 10+: $78 | MEMBERS $79 5 G o l d e n F i d d l e awa r d s violi n m a e stro. c om.au

2 M O Awa r d s

4 A C E Awa r d s

T HE PROM S - A Mu s ic al S p e ctac u l ar

1 p l at i n u m A R I A awa r d

info@ au s t e nt ertainme n t. c om. au

missing Meagan

It’s impossible to pinpoint when Meagan Anderson started to disappear, but slowly, irrevocably, the essence of the bright, young mum is being erased.

Meagan (right) and life-long friend Kate Jongeb loed

By Sarah Harris Sarah Wainwright misses and mourns her sister Meagan, even as she stands beside her on the verandah of the family’s Eaglehawk home. “She’s as happy as, but she’s not the same Meagan any more,” the well-known local business owner reflects sadly. Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia (BVFTD) is the name of the terrible advancing adversary occupying the territory between old Meagan and new Meagan, about which her family is keen to raise awareness. The former Bendigo Business Awards Employee-of-the-Year was finally diagnosed with the condition in late 2016 thanks to the persistent efforts of her mother Rhondda and life-long friend Kate Jongebloed. In some ways it was a relief to pin a name to the increasingly aberrant behaviour which cost bubbly, beautiful, community-minded Meagan her marriage, two children and her independence. “In hindsight, we think it may have been there for three or four years before diagnosis,” Sarah reflects. “It all makes sense now, but when someone who is 35 is behaving out of character, you don’t think it’s going to be dementia. Honestly, our best guess was late onset post-natal depression.” Initially, like many insidious conditions of the brain, the changes were subtle. “Though we are very close in age, Meagan was always the really social one, whether it was with her husband’s business, their two kids, or her friends, she was always out doing things. She started not doing some of those things, just on and off. She’d be like, ‘Nah, I’m not coming in for that’, or ‘Nah, I’m not doing that’, and with such a busy life, it seemed sensible.” Meagan, who had a flair for figures and a business degree, kept working after the birth of two much-loved children Charlotte and Luke, doing books for various businesses including Sarah’s eCruise & Travel company. But oddly Meagan started 64

to forget passwords although they hadn’t changed in years. Her emotional responses also seemed increasingly blunted while her interest in food had heightened. “There was one night when Luke was about two and a half and he hit his head on the coffee table and ended up having to have stitches, which his father had to take him to get, because Meagan was determined she was still coming in here to do my books,” Sarah recalls. “As if it was something really routine for Luke to need stitches. “We would always have pizza on bookkeeping nights and we worked out eventually that that was actually what she was coming in for, because part of this disease is that sufferers become really obsessed about food. Every Monday she would be in and she would stand in the front window and just pace, waiting for the pizza delivery, which makes sense now, but then it was just weird.” At home Meagan’s husband had become increasingly frustrated. “He called me from one family holiday and said, ‘I just can’t do this any more’. It turns out she was doing crazy things, like they might come home as a family and Meagan would walk in the door, go to the pantry and cook herself twominute noodles, leaving her husband to get their two little kids tea. We had a couple of what we called interventions with her before we knew what was actually wrong. We said, ‘Meags, you are going to lose everything’ and nothing penetrated. She was like, ‘Nah, it will all be fine’.” The medical profession also seemed deaf to the problem. Rhondda took Meagan to multiple mental health practitioners who concluded nothing was amiss. It wasn’t until Rhondda overcame waiting lists to get Meagan into a psychiatrist in Ballarat that he spotted an abnormality on one of her earlier CT scans. A two-week stay at Royal Melbourne Hospital followed before BVFTD was confirmed. “That was the perfect example

of the condition in some ways because in those two weeks Meags didn’t once ask why she was there,” Sarah recalls. “She just stayed on her phone because that is another one of her obsessions, watching YouTube on her phone, particularly Leonardo di Caprio, who she loved as a teenager.” Meagan’s parents have now become her carers and it will become harder for them as the disease progresses. The family’s hopes that she might be part of a trial to test a new drug aimed at slowing the progress of the disease were dashed when she refused to lie still for an MRI. “The reason she didn’t get accepted into the clinical trial is that she wouldn’t behave. She kept hitting the emergency button and the radiographers were getting shirty. They were just there to do the MRI and didn’t understand why this grown woman kept smacking the emergency button, because when you look at her, you can’t see anything wrong.” It’s the prejudice and lack of awareness about younger onset dementia, which afflicts more than 26,000 Australians under the age of 65, that the Wainwrights hope to address. “There is a real stigma that goes along with it and there are no facilities catering for young people,” Sarah says. “They get put in with old people, and I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but there are different needs. And frankly, you wouldn’t want Meagan in those environments high-fiving frail elderly people, because one of the ways she interacts with people is high-fiving them over and over. She doesn’t mean it aggressively, but she is very heavy-handed. It is also her distraction method when she is not getting what she wants which is usually chocolate, cheese or pizza. “It is very wearing, but I get to leave at the end of the day. Mum and Dad don’t. I intentionally remain a bit ignorant of what lies ahead because it frightens me so much.” For information see www.dementia.org.au

Meagan and sister Sarah 65

hand on heart

Our columnist reflects on finding and declaring a love of art among the ‘more manly’ pursuits of the old Bendigo Technical College. By Geoff Hocking I drove past the corner of the old/new TAFE building the other day and it caused me to reflect on this block of land and how much it had changed over the past half century. When I was just a lad I attended the Bendigo Technical School, an institution (and I use that term with full knowledge of the many interpretations that word may conjure) that was spread almost over the entire block from Mundy Street to Chapel, Hargreaves to Pall Mall.

Various technical workshops were spread around and about, sheds filled with lathes and metal fabricating machinery, wood shaping things and things that made metal red hot and right for banging with large metal hammers. A large quadrangle stretched from the Hargreaves Street end to Pall Mall. It was on this square of patchy tarmac that we small boys marched back and forth to the sounds of Colonel Bogey from a scratchy recording played over the crackling Tannoy.

The main classrooms, for the teaching of the formal ‘academic’ lessons, were held in the double-storey building on the corner of Hargreaves and Chapel, remain almost intact.

You may have noted that my impressions of my time at the old tech are not altogether favourable. I guess I did find some things agreeable — but those do not counterbalance my enduring memory of four years of pain.

Built in a horseshoe shape, resemblant of a prison compound, it was inside this compound that the principal of my day, the much feared ‘Jumbo’ Wiseman, held the students at bay each morning, at assembly, and at any other time he saw fit to bring down his reign of terror and loathing.

These were the days when teachers were liberal with the leather strap. I had six of the best — for talking in class. I have always had a lot to say, about anything and everything. Whilst undergoing a ritual formation marching exercise I was punched in the chest by the maths teacher because I was out of step with everyone else. Was

this a problem? I think I have been slightly out of step for most of my life, and he obviously didn’t see the value in the independent mind. One teacher, who later became a valued member of the teaching profession and the director of one of Melbourne’s finer TAFE colleges, disciplined lads by calling them into his office and after throwing a two shilling piece beneath his desk he would ask the unsuspecting student to pick it up for him. Once below the desk, and on his knees the student’s posterior was exposed and in an outward facing position. The teacher then reached for his trusty set square and took aim. A sharp whack on the bum caused the student to leap up with fright and bang his head on the underside of the desk. Two whacks for the price of one swing. Hilarious. Technical school education was certainly instructional. When I reached the fourth form I was able to choose a pathway in art and I did very much enjoy being able to attend art classes at the senior tech. Several of us who had elected to do art, much to the distaste of ‘Jumbo’ — who said some very tasteless things about young lads who had chosen to be artists, rather than chosen more ‘manly’ pursuits — made our way across the quadrangle once a week to slip through the back door into the labyrinthine world of the senior tech and made our way upstairs to the studios. I note that these little alleyways remain within the expanse of the new campus, yet the quadrangle is long gone and replaced by an open garden space, replete with seating and attractive plantings. Where once we marched on patchy tar, it is now a garden paradise. Also long gone are the two small wooden buildings that stood on the corner of Chapel and Pall Mall. I had sat down opposite one day and sketched these rundown Victorian houses. At that time one was the residence of Lin Kee, a Chinese herbalist. Although our school surrounded this building I have no idea what went on there, less idea of what a Chinese herbalist did. We never walked over that front step. Never engaged with Mr Kee, never even saw him. Maybe he was long gone as well and it was just his name that was written on a sign that remembered him as ever being there. There was a flag pole in the middle of the quadrangle. I guess we stood there from time to time, lined up in regimented rows, hands on hearts, and listened to the strains of the Last Post, and sang God Save The Queen. I don’t think we had a school song. If so, it would have been eminently forgettable. Maybe that is why I have forgotten it anyway. Some very energetic lads shimmied up this flagpole one evening and mounted a classroom chair at the top. Apart from the effort of getting it there it would have taken quite an effort to get it down. To my knowledge no one was held responsible. We would use this quadrangle, the flagpole and the high walls of the senior school to practice our trigonometry and by angles and mathematics configure the height of the wall and how far back we would have to stand if we knocked it down and didn’t want to get flattened by a ton of bricks. This was a very useful thing to learn — in case we ever wanted to demolish something, or fell a tree and not have it demolish anything as it came down. Let alone us. Guess I did learn something useful after all. 67

Amberlie Deane, Meron Pyper and Georgie Stephens

Georgie Brown and Emerson Snell

Heather Mundy and Holly Green

Tracey and Erin Colgan

Narlinga Morgan, Karen Goodwin, Yvette Rose and Rhoda Morgan

Sally Miller, Shaynie Flaherty, Lorrian Beckett, Kiraly Dealy, Kellie Good and Marlow Schneider

CLASSIC MUMS Many Bendigo mums happily missed breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day to join their friends and families and help raise funds for breast cancer research. The Bendigo Mother’s Day Classic took place for the 10th year in a row in May, and saw pink-clad teams walk or run the 4km or 8km course, all for the best of causes.

COME & EXPERIENCE OUR Visit our new precinct DIVERSE HIVE OF ACTIVITY

Bendigo’s original market in garden still operates • Indulge yourself our farm kitchen today, 150 years •later, Farm’s social enterprise. Pickwithin & payPepperGreen from our market garden E x p•ePurchase r i e n c e o from u r d iour v e rplant s e h inursery ve of activity • Meet the artists at our studios • Indulge yourself in our farm kitchen • Take a tour through our unique history on site • Pick & pay from our market garden • Enjoy a Devonshire tea on our tram • Purchase from our plant nursery • Meet the makers at our community market • Meet the artists at our studios • Take a tour through our unique history on site Open Monday - Saturday • Enjoy a Devonshire tea on our tram 44 Thunder Street, North Bendigo • Meet the makers at our community market

www.peppergreenfarm.com.au

2018 Opening Hours 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday

A Social Enterprise of Access Australia Group

44 Thunder Street, North Bendigo

a very personal passion Sparked by a traumatic experience almost three decades ago, CEO of the Annie North Women’s Refuge, Julie Oberin, has forged a rewarding career helping women to escape family violence. By Kate O’Connor Citing the irony, Julie Oberin recalls how, as a student at La Trobe University Bendigo, she first encountered the sector that supports women living with violence. “I was in a relationship that was violent, and I needed a refuge. But I didn’t really know what to do, I didn’t know what services were available.” After reaching crisis point one night and checking herself and her two young children into a motel, the following day Julie found herself sitting alone in the university’s Student Union, assessing her options. “The women’s officer came over to talk and noticed there was something wrong, so I told her – and she was the first person I told, ever,” says Julie. Lamenting the absence of a local

women’s refuge, the worker offered Julie, and her two children, a bed at her house. “That was a really generous offer – but I didn’t know her well.” The women’s officer later formed a group that established Bendigo’s first women’s refuge, and Julie joined her in 1990, working at what was then known as the Annie North Collective. Twenty-eight years on, and Julie is CEO of the Annie North Women’s Refuge, helping women who find themselves in the same situation. With eight safe houses across Bendigo, the organisation recently celebrated the opening of a brand new, purpose-built secure facility. Julie describes the new complex as the “jewel in the crown” of her career. “This has been my

vision for 20 years, this building. We’ve been doing the best with the facilities that we’ve had for the women and kids, but we just knew that they needed better,” she says. Opened by Premier Daniel Andrews, the modern complex boasts six family units, administrative offices and a soundproof counselling room equipped with a one-way viewing window and video link-up facilities. Many of the features, such as a double teaching kitchen and the computer lab, were the result of client feedback. “This is all because our client focus groups told us that’s the sort of thing that they’d really like to do while they’re in refuge – they didn’t want to be seen as women cowering in the corner, they 69

wanted to get to know themselves and their potential again,” says Julie. Funded by the former and current State Government, and supported by local community groups, the new complex is proof the system is gradually improving. Julie puts a groundswell of public interest in recent years down to the “Rosie Batty factor”. “A lot of us have been working in this field for over 25 years, but Rosie just brought it home to everyone because she was an ordinary woman – she was not the stereotypical woman that people think this happens to. Rosie was also a fierce advocate, and lobbied everywhere she could, and got into the ear of significant people who listened,” she says. Julie is another one of those fierce advocates for the sector, and is active on a long list of boards and representative committees. Her role as chair of the Australian Women Against Violence Alliance has seen her lead a delegation each year since 2012 at the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women meeting in New York, presenting on topics such as technology-facilitated abuse, and rural and regional women and violence. Julie is also chair of WESNET – the national women’s peak advocacy body for family violence organisations across Australia –

and in 2015/16 was a member of the COAG Advisory Panel on Preventing Violence Against Women and their Children. Julie credits the courses she took at La Trobe – a Bachelor of Arts majoring in social science, politics and sociology, an Honours year in sociology and cultural studies, and Masters of Social Work (Human Services Management) – for laying the foundations for her career. “I still draw on my knowledge from La Trobe,’ she says. ‘Sociology is my favourite subject. To really understand the nature of disadvantage in our community, you need to understand social inequalities, and sociology really does that for you.” She also cites the relevance of subjects like Management Theory, Negligence and Contract Law – which she completed as part of her Masters – in her current work. Coupled with her extensive experience in the field, Julie has been successful at securing government funding over the years. “Putting together my learning at university and my practice on the ground – to use women’s stories to back up my theories and put the human face to it – is a really powerful thing,” she says. Being able to access high quality education in the city she grew up in was also vital to Julie’s

later success. “The barriers to accessing education were not there for me like they can be for other women. If I hadn’t been able to do it in Bendigo, I wouldn’t have been able to go to uni. I didn’t have the resources or support to go anywhere else or to access uni anywhere else,” Julie says. Looking back Julie says her personal experience continues to play a critical role in informing her work. “I had some bad experiences in court. I had some bad experiences with the police. So when I started work in this field, I really focused on advocating for a better system response for the women, because I knew how it can let them down. So that was my aim – to embed a culture of believing the women and kids, validating them, and really focussing on risk assessment and getting a better system response for them.” And although her brush with a broken system almost three decades ago led to a lifetime of critical work, there is no doubt that a secure local refuge and a well-funded, coordinated system that validated her experience is exactly what Julie, as a young university student sitting alone in the Student Union that day, so desperately needed.

Welcome Superbly located opposite Mildura’s majestic Murray River and within walking distance to the shopping and dining precinct. Corner Seventh Street & Deakin Avenue, Mildura Phone: 03 5023 0241 | Web: www.commodoremildura.com.au | 

Leonie Van Eyk and Molly Braddon

Brenda Bidgood, Sue Rayson, Valerie Andrews, Colleen Smith and Beverley Orgill

MERRY OVER MARIMEKKO Charles Tandy and Nicola Walsh

John Wearne and Paula Rana

Jane Crulci and Scott Horn

Di Sutherland and Margaret Birrell

Art lovers made a bee-line to the bright red poppies of the Bendigo Art Gallery for the opening of Marimekko: Design Icon 1951 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2018. The exclusive Australian exhibition of the Finnish fashion label is a celebration of colour and fun that showcases more than 65 years of textiles, clothing and homewares fashion. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brightening early winter days at the gallery until June 11.

Open 7:30am - 5pm Monday to Friday - Closed Public Holidays 40 Strickland Road, East Bendigo | www.bendigofoodstore.com.au | P: 5442 3460

SOLD Are you thinking of selling? PROFESSIONAL TAILORED MARKETING AND EXCEPTIONAL SALES RESULTS The massive demand for a wide variety of properties in the Bendigo region has created an exciting time for sellers. McKean McGregor has achieved record sales in Autumn, many homes selling within the 1st week or before going live on market.

For a no obligation, free market appraisal on your property, please contact the team at McKean McGregor Real Estate on 5454 6600. W W W. M C K E A N M C G R E G O R .C O M . A U

green

thumbs up

Have you been to PepperGreen Farm recently? There really is something for everyone – including those select lovers of the Brussels sprout.

By Lauren Mitchell - Photography by David Field and Ashley J Taylor Turns out a Brussels sprout plant is something to behold. See how they grow and you may just find a new appreciation for this oftenmaligned mini member of the cabbage family. A recent visitor to PepperGreen Farm was overhead fawning over them. “He said to his friend, did you know that’s how Brussels sprouts grow?” says Dr Michael Langdon. “It’s good for young people to see not only where their vegetables come from, but how they grow.” Michael is CEO of Access Australia Group, which runs the Bendigo social enterprise PepperGreen Farm. The farm is giving opportunities to volunteers, artists, makers, market-goers, green thumbs and people with a disability, and everyone is invited to get involved, whether that’s through running a stall, doing a weekly vegetable shop here or simply calling in for a coffee. Michael says volunteering is also a valuable contribution. “We’re very appreciative of our volunteers and we’re always looking for more. It’s a great way to give back to the community, learn new skills or simply just potter around the garden, and as a social enterprise we really rely on volunteers.” PepperGreen Farm has been a staple along Thunder Street, North Bendigo, for the past 10 years, however 2018 has been the time to ramp up operations for the health and enjoyment of locals and visitors. 73

“We want PepperGreen Farm to be an integrated part of the community and to become another tourist venue,” Michael says. And it’s on its way. As well as being open six days a week – seven as of July – there’s a makers market here every Saturday. The first market of the year in April attracted over 1200 visitors. It now makes for a great day out each week. Visitors can browse the stalls, meet and watch artists at work in the studios, enjoy coffee, cake and lunch from the café and pick their own produce from the garden. Right now, leafy winter greens are sprouting alongside some super soup-worthy pumpkins, among other fare. “The market is also giving opportunities to our assisted employees who are helped to run a stall and sell the things they make here,” Michael says. “We’re teaching them microbusiness skills so if they want to go and start their own business, they can.” PepperGreen Farm is flourishing on the site of Bendigo’s original Chinese market garden. Vegetables were first planted here on the Bendigo Creek flats over 150 years ago to supply people on the goldfields with much-valued fresh food. “If it wasn’t for them many miners would have starved,” Michael says. You can learn more about the history on a heritage tour on site. Michael describes this place as a paddock-to-plate-to-paddock enterprise, and those aren’t just buzz words. That ethos is seen in action each week, thanks to a group of passionate Kalianna students. Michael says the kids come on site to help fulfil fresh produce orders from local cafes and restaurants. They load up bicycle trailers with goods from the garden and pedal them to Bendigo venues, returning back to the farm with green waste to compost on site. There are many aspects to this very special place. Come and visit to experience it for yourself. Go to www.PepperGreenfarm.com.au for a calendar of creative community events.

Come for the chicken. Stay for the beer. Come for the chicken. Stay for the beer.

winter pleaser Bread and butter pudding, yes please! By Beau Cook Here’s a recipe your grandmother probably cooked. It’s stood the test of time, and for good reason too. There’s no better excuse to let the bread go stale than to save it up for this crowd-pleasing pud. Perfect for winter dinner parties, it’s cheap and cheerful and will feed an army. Then again, leftovers are oh so sweet. Bread and butter pudding for breakfast anyone? The raw ingredients qualify, so why not the hero dish? Delish.

BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING Serves 6-8 • 1 cup of sultanas • 5 tbs brandy • 5 eggs • 300ml thickened cream • 500ml full cream milk • ¼ cup caster sugar • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp ground cardamom • 10 thin slices of 2-day-old white bread • 100g unsalted butter, softened • 2 tbs demerara sugar • Crème fraîche or ice-cream, to serve

1. Combine sultanas and brandy in a small heatproof bowl and microwave for one minute, then stir, and set aside. 2. In a large jug whisk together eggs, cream, milk, caster sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. 3. Butter both sides of bread, then slice in half. 4. Lightly grease a 2L-capacity baking dish, then layer pudding with one-third of sultana mixture, half the bread slices, another third of the sultana mixture and remaining bread. Top with remaining sultanas. 5. Pour cream mixture over the top and gently press down sultanas and bread so it is flat. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Scatter sugar over pudding and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and just set. Remove from oven and brush 1 tbs of melted butter over the top then place under grill on high heat for five minutes or until golden brown. Serve pudding with crème fraîche or ice-cream.

Alex Degendorfer, Carolyn Mead, Linda Farrugia, Lou Paola and Joanne Paola

Alexandra Aragon, Fiona Tosh and Karen Chant

Cath Roberson and Liz Nash

Ian and Joan Vlaeminck, Ros Derrick and Bob Redwood

Jenna Hickey and Pep Dalton

Paul and Heather Burgess

LONG LUNCHING Toasts were raised to the region’s World’s Longest Lunch in Rosalind Park in March. Guests savoured six regionally-sourced courses presented by Wine Bank on View and carefully matched with local wine. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival event attracted 150 foodies for the lunch to remember. Plus, a raffle on the day raised $905 for the New Bendigo Hospital Fundraising Appeal.

Elegance and style Award winning fruit from rich Cambrian soil

3025 Heathcote Rochester Road, Colbinabbin Warehouse - 4B Mayfair Park Estate, McDowall’s Road, Bendigo East www.elliswines.com.au | raylene@elliswines.com.au | 0401 290 315

Aden Grinter and Linda Preece

Casey Dickens, Jess Cornford and Hermie Dickens

BATONS PASSED

Crystal Henderson, Lisa Matthews and Jade Henderson

Haylee Lester, Brittney Hicks and Madison Bryce

Danielle Lamprell, Maliha Dean and James Tuddenham

Joan and Noel Roberts

The Bendigo community once again walked for local cancer survivors, carers and patients and remembered loved ones lost, during Relay for Life in April. Almost 700 people took to the Backhaus Oval in Golden Square for the annual overnight event to help reach the local fundraising goal of $180,000. Money raised goes towards the Cancer Council’s work in research, prevention, education and support.

OFFERING CUISINE WITH A BLEND OF PERFECT ASIAN TECHNIQUES & CULINARY ADVENTURES….

restoran

malayan orchid

OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY • dine-in • take-away

• new menu • exciting wine-list

Winner Best Asian Restaurant - Regional Victoria (Savour Australia TM Restaurant & Catering)

155 VIEW STREET BENDIGO PH: 5442 4411

a dash of that

Ever wondered how to correct a coffee? Add wine of course. Our sommelier shows us how. By Finn Vedelsby — Rocks On Rosalind Take a little inspiration from international sources when it comes to coffee this winter. Spice up your caffeine hit with some sweetness and a touch of much-loved Baileys. For wine lovers we’re keeping it local with a little drop from a Heathcote favourite. And watch out for regional varieties of fiano. One Clare Valley example will win you over.

CAFÉ CORRETTO The Italians know how to improve a coffee. They call the practice corretto - “to correct a coffee by adding some booze to it.” In Italy the bartender will add a drop for you or leave you with the bottle of grappa to correct your own espresso. Hang on, or was it the Irish, with their whisky, coffee, sugar and cream. In France cognac will be added if some ‘fortification’ is required. In Denmark it’s called kaffekask, where they add coffee to moonshine to make the beverage more palatable. In any case, we have been doing it for a while even before the espresso martini was invented. Africans invented animal-fat-andcoffee-berry-protein bars and, get this, fermented coffee-berry pulp — coffee wine. It seems coffee and booze went hand-in-hand even in 800 A.D. Hmmm, coffee/wine - there could be something in this. Try something new: The Rocks Corretto Condensed milk - like in a Vietnamese coffee for sweetness. Cardamom-infused espresso - because menthol in coffee is awesome. Baileys and Baileys Foam - because it must be correct.

GROSSET APIANA The name derives from the ancient Roman concept that fiano, an indigenous variety from Campania in Italy’s south, resembled the aroma of honey. Certified organic and unfiltered this wine is an example of lowinterventional wine making at its best - so cool right now. This vibrant unique wine made with Clare Valley Fiano from Grosset delivers amazing perfumed aromas of almond, blossom and honeycomb. The palate is lively, savoury, textured and deep. It has a creamy viscosity that finishes smooth, long and satisfyingly dry. The Grosset Apiana is a hard wine to find and is available at Rocks on Rosalind while stocks remain. The grape variety however is being produced around our local region with great success. A fantastic white wine variety for the winter months - try a local example from the Tellurian stable.

TELURIAN RED LINE SHIRAZ When coming home to Bendigo from any adventure, winding down the window and taking a deep fresh breath of country air, no matter the temperature outside, is mandatory. If the Tellurian philosophy - if I can be so bold as to presume -is to bottle this experience, they nail it time and time again. Observation of Heathcote from the sky shows a red line of Cambrian soils formed over 500 million years running north-south over 60km through the centre of the region. Tellurian Redline Shiraz captures the essence of Heathcote, dark berry shiraz with savoury minerality; an approachable early drinking style at an excellent price.

let us

savour soup

Celebrity chef Peter Russell-Clarke turns a summer staple on its head to produce a quirky winter warmer that’s well worth trying.

I’m a soup-aholic. But the soup has to be top line. And that’s what I believe my lettuce soup to be. Also, it’s extremely easy to prepare. Because winter weather is so unpredictable, so too can be lettuce soup. I don’t mean in quality, I mean it can be successfully served hot or cold. Not only can the recipe produce a marvellous soup, but also as a vegetable to accompany fish or lamb or whatever you’ve cooked (or not cooked) for a pleasant winter meal. Naturally you reduce the liquid if you propose to serve it beside a flattened slice of rump steak or a veal chop.

LETTUCE SOUP • 30 g butter • Juice of 1 clove of garlic • 1 brown onion, finely diced • A good pinch of dried tarragon • 10 cups beef stock • 1 iceberg lettuce, finely shredded • 1 teaspoon of capers • 1 cup milk • 1/2 cup cream • Freshly-ground black pepper

1. In a large pot gently melt the butter. Add the garlic juice, onion and tarragon and heat till the onion softens but is not brown. 2. Pour in the beef stock and heat. 3. Add the shredded lettuce to the pot and warm but DO NOT LET IT BOIL. Stir in the capers. When the lettuce has softened add the milk. Add freshlyground black pepper to taste. Warm through then stir in the cream and serve garnished with thin slices of redskinned capsicum.

road to riches Winter. Cold nights, warm beers! By Justin McPhail The craft beer scene has certainly put the ‘fun’ into the frothy. With names like Fuzz Box, Beer Geek and Garage Project on the labels, you know you’re in for an experience when settling in to sample these brews. In a Willy Wonka-style twist, try rocky road icecream-in-a-bottle, weirdly it’s best enjoyed warm, perhaps making it the perfect winter bevvy. Cheers to four quirky beers handpicked from around the globe for your drinking pleasure.

GARAGE PROJECT – FUZZ BOX

OMNIPOLLO – ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM

MIKKELLER – BEER GEEK BRUNCH

Who makes it? Three mates in a derelict petrol station in Wellington, New Zealand. Well, that’s where it started anyway. They now operate from a few different sites across the city, with a dedicated experimental brewery for the stranger beers in the range.

Who makes it? Swedish masterminds and British legends Buxton.

Who makes it? Gypsy brewers from Denmark who are beginning a state-bystate takeover of the United States craft beer scene, with bars in every major city and breweries in San Diego and New York.

What is it? Fuzzy Pale Ale – an unfiltered cloudy pale ale with loads of delicious zesty hops (Galaxy, Nelson and Mosaic for those of you playing at home). Plenty of mango and lime notes throughout make it a perfect fruit salad in a can. Try with: Wood fired pizza, battered fish, prosciutto.

What is it? Exactly what it says on the label – imperial peanut oatmeal porter brewed with marshmallows, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and lactose sugar. Overtly sweet, super creamy and far too delicious for its 10 per cent alcohol content! Try with: Nothing. Have it on its own, let it warm up to truly appreciate its beauty.

What is it? An imperial coffee stout that got the Mikkeller name famous. Big and roasty with an incredibly intense aroma. Sweet coffee notes match with chocolate malt for a creamy mouth feel, with a dry finish helping you jump back in for another sip. Try with: Salted crackers.

3 RAVENS ACID - SOUR Who makes it? 3 Ravens, a brewery in Thornbury and one of Melbourne’s oldest independently-owned microbreweries. What is it? A berlinerweisse style ale. Lightly soured, refreshingly crisp with a sherbet-like fizz. It’s a great style to wedge between the bigger, bolder ales that adorn the fridge shelves throughout these darker, cooler months. Try with: Salty chips – the sweet and sour component of the beer lends itself to an opposite match of something salty.

Rosemary and Alan Tait

Alhazmi Shea and Mary Baker

John Harris and Cynthia Ryan-Schauer

Tony Culkin and Spresa Marina

Pam and Martin Pearce

Tom Lumley and Susan Beaton

CLASS AND GLASS Strings, wind, brass and keys combined to create one gorgeous weekend of classical music during April at the Bendigo Art Gallery and Capital Theatre. Once again the Sanguine Estate Music Festival broke free from its Heathcote vineyard to take over the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arts precinct, such is its popularity. The program of concerts, recitals and masterclasses was enjoyed with a glass or two of Sanguine wine.

Kate Simon, Jonathan Pitts, Emmy and Luke Mulholland

Leanne Moon, Carly Cooper, Krista Franklin, Mandy Cooper and Jan Pinner

CORKS POPPED Mark Stokes and Tim Connors

Sam Crisp and Sam Brimacombe

Paul Dwyer and Gary Stooke

Stuart McKenzie, Heather Buncle and Paul Buncle

Wine lovers marked the end of the grape harvest with Bendigo winemakers, as they put down shears for another year to show off the finished product. The annual Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival in April was a celebration worth toasting, with more than 60 wine varieties on show. Rosalind Park also played host to good food, live tunes and fun activities on the lawn.

WINE. FOOD. FUNCTIONS, WEDDINGS & CONFERENCES Visit our Cellar Door and Gallery. You can relax and enjoy wine tasting in air conditioned comfort or relax outdoors in the gardens.

“AN EXCELLENT WINERY, PRODUCING WINES OF HIGH TO VERY HIGH QUALITY” JAMES HALLIDAY Open at weekends, at other times by appointment - (03) 5439 5367 - 77 Faderson’s Lane, Mandurang - (9km South - East of Bendigo, Off Tannery Lane)

Habitat 4-seat sofa by Molmic in Warwick Husk Linen. RRP $4699. Atlas Gunmetal cushions $99, ‘Furnish’ cushion in Catherine Martin Hammam Fabric $233.95, Soveriegn Velvet cushion in Nutmeg $89.95

a cosy homecoming Lisa Smith, interior design consultant and director of Make Your House A Home, delivers the global winter trends after a month in the USA immersed in interiors and furniture design. When touring the showrooms at High Point Market in North Carolina, I observed that the winter 2018 colour palettes are still grey, all shades of blue, then green with coral close behind, all coordinated with dull gold or matt black.

Thick and textured rugs and throws are essential for winter. Natural, sultry shades create a feeling of warmth and luxury within the glow of a gorgeous candle. Don’t be afraid to mix different textures; leather, fur, felt and metallic finishes all work well together.

Black is still going strong but not nearly as overwhelming as it was last year. I often have clients say they are worried black will go out of date. I don’t think black ever does, it just gets overused, so use it sparingly but purposefully and you will be fine. Updating your décor for a new season can be as simple as updating your cushions and throws and is really no different to adding a new coat or scarf to your wardrobe.

Farmhouse industrial is going to be the next big decorating style in Australia. I was lucky enough during my trip to visit the Magnolia Homes franchise in Waco, Texas – the Chip and Joanna Gaines empire. For anyone who is a fan of the Fixer Upper series on Channel 54 (Life) this was the highlight of our trip. From the renovation of the Magnolia Silos adjacent to Magnolia Market to the new Magnolia Table eatery that had just opened the week before we visited (three-hour wait to get a table for breakfast!) it was not only aspirational but inspirational.

When working with Make Your House A Home’s Couture for Living clients, we create a home that reflects their personality. When I first meet a client I like to find out if there are any pieces that have real meaning to them. It is a great way to connect but also gives me a solid base to work with.

Joanna Gaines loves decorating with books, and from what we saw at Highpoint Market everyone is following suit. Books, books and more books. Bundled together with spines colour blocked, old and new stacked at different heights, positioned on shelving or coffee tables. They’re a welcome and practical addition to any home.

The secret to a successful interior is to ensure the space feels warm and welcoming, while subtly introducing the colours and textures of the current season.

For more information about Make Your House A Home’s Couture for Living packages go to www.makeyourhouseahome.com.au or head into the store at 132 High Street, Bendigo.

ABOVE: Tasmanian Oak magazine rack $349, Heirloom throw ‘Striped Elk’ $399, Natuzzi Editions Leather Cushion $149, Navy and Tan cushion $159, Ceder Navy cushion $179 RIGHT: Custom round ottoman in Zepel Warlock Navy $499, Heirloom throw ‘Mountain Rabbit’ $399, ‘Furnish’ cushion in James Dunlop St. Clair Indigo $171.95, Pom pom cushion ‘Sand’ $99 BELOW: ‘Furnish’ cushion in Christian Lacroix ‘Soft pantigre perle’ $285, Heirloom throw ‘Chinchilla’ $399 Himalayan Goat Skin Cushion $129, Globe West Baha round side table $399

INVEST IN YOUR HOME, NOT JUST IN FURNITURE

F U R N I T U R E PA C K A G E S N O W AVA I L A B L E C O N TACT L I S A@ M Y H A H .COM. AU FOR MORE INFORMAT ION

1 32 - 138 HIGH STRE ET B END IG O | 03 5 4 4 2 60 93 | MAKE YOURHOUS E AHOME .COM.AU

LOCATED AT THE DESIGN PRECINCT

local shopping ENJOY BENDIGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FANTASTIC SHOPS With winter weather fast approaching what could be better than shopping through Bendigoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snuggly laneways and sweet streets in search of a heart-warming gift or treat.

notebook

B5 Notebook from Organise My $19.95

wheat bags

Lavender Wheat Bag from Gathered $39.95

Pure wool Owl tea cosy 2-4 pot (assorted colours) from bob boutique $38.00 - $40.00

hot & cold bottle Double walled stainless steel thermal bottles 500ml from bob boutique $44.00

garland

Down to the Woods 2 metre pom pom garland from Milt & Joe $39.00

julie white socks Julie White Printed socks from Gathered $29.95

costume national fragrance Costume National fragrance from Made in Common $99.00

Unicorn jumper (Available in kids & adult sizes) from bob boutique & C2A $44.95 upwards

Sonia Brit Design Perfect day & Perfect night cushions from bob boutique $58.00 each

travel cup

Earth Bottles coffee travel cup from Organise My $31.95

cactus jumper Cactus print jumper

(Available in kids & adults sizes)

from bob boutique & C2A $44.95 upwards

knit $440.00 Fool 100% wool winter ss $250.00 dre tee Picasso Face big on mm Co in de Ma m fro

quilt covers & pillow slips Kip & Co In Bed Velvet Quilt cover $270 Linen Pillow Slips $85 from Gathered

kids beanies

Acorn Alpine mint beanie & Acorn Adventure pink stripe beanie from Milt & Joe $49.95 each

Assorte

d Alpac a glo from Vie ves $20.00 Sca rv w Stree t Bazaa es $28.00 r

underground sundae earrings Underground Sundae handmade single earrings from Made in Common $36.00

UpState Stock ragg wool gloves with Deer leather from Gathered $69.95

You, Me and Bones candles $45.00 Socc tulle socks $30.00 Limedrop polish $16.00 from Made in Common

guitar jumper

Rock your kid guitar licks jumper from Milt & Joe $59.95

TRADIES BY THE TRACK

Anna Sutton and Sophie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill

Choc Chip and Callum Buchanan

Nathan Two and Nathan One

Katie Kemp, Marnie Hullin, Patch Lalor, James Pietromonaco and George Kemp

Mitch Goudge, Delty Robins and The Hoffa

Monique Ryan and Sam McAlpine

The Bendigo Jockey Club had never seen so much fluoro than on Tradies Race Day in May. Punters were encouraged to don the high vis for free entry and other perks. A crowd-pleasing sausage sizzle on the terrace set the scene for this laid-back, low-key race day with a difference.

Cellar Door Open Daily 11am-5pm Taste and Purchase Current and OlderVintages | Boutique Accommodation Now Available 156 Forest Drive Marong,Victoria Australia | Phone: (03) 5435 2534 | Fax: (03) 5435 2548 | wine@sandhurstridge.com.au

at home on barkly street We visit a stunning new build in one of Bendigo’s most historic streets - a place that’s well and truly hooked these homeowners. By Lauren Mitchell - Photos courtesy Open2View

John and Roz Bradbury are about to head overseas when knocks on their oh-so oversized oak front door. However, the couple actually prove you need not journey far for an adventure. It’s been six weeks since they moved into their new home here. Brand new home, same old address. This architecturally-designed beauty is the Bradbury’s fourth Barkly Street abode. The couple moved into their first as newly-weds 38 years ago. The list reads Edwardian, Victorian, post-war bungalow and now, this new build which replaced the latter. The street’s charms are undeniable. It’s packed with significant historic homes and large leafy trees and shares close quarters with many local icons; you can hear the Catherine McAuley College school bell on weekdays, the QEO siren on weekends. 96

But for the Bradburys it’s all about the neighbours. “We love the friendships and connections we’ve made here,” Roz says. “It’s a street full of house-proud, like-minded people,” adds John. “We weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere.” When Roz and John came to replace the 1950s home they renovated 13 years ago, they called on Lucas Hodgens, of e+ architecture. “It was so incredibly exciting because we had a blank canvas,” Roz says. “We went to Lucas with a brief of the things we had to have, the things we’d like to have and the things that would be great if we could get them, and he facilitated nearly all of them. Lucas understood what was in our hearts and minds from the beginning of the project.” Lucas says number one on the Bradbury’s list was a house that let in the light. Their old

Architect Lucas Hodgens (centre) with John and Roz Bradbury

place had a traditional front-to-back aspect, which largely snubbed the northern side of the narrow block. So this design features soaring ceilings, high-placed windows and views to the sky from almost every angle. “It’s beautiful,” Roz says. “We wake up in the morning and we’re instantly connected to the sky, the trees, the birds and the elements of the day. You know straight away what’s going on outside.” Lucas says a design is only as good as the brief, and after much careful consideration, Roz and John knew what they wanted. “An intimate architect/client relationship helps draw out the brief, often resulting in, as in this case, a friendship,” Lucas says. “You really want to understand how the clients want to live and that can be the hardest thing to draw out of them. Things like, do they like to sit in the sun and have a coffee in the morning? How people live in a house dayto-day is something that’s often overlooked when designing, but these are the things that make a house work. The other side is getting a great builder on board as well because there are plenty of decisions that get made mid-construction.” Local builder Todd Newman and his team revelled in the chance to build this house, perhaps partly because there’s rarely a new build in Barkly Street. But also for the innovative use of materials. The house has a pared-back palette of glass, steel, oak and exposed concrete plus marble surfaces by local business Vereker Stone. “There were a lot of firsts in this house,” Lucas says. “I daresay every contractor was pushed out of their comfort zone but I didn’t hear one of them complain.” Honed concrete breeze blocks, for example, have been used inside and out for privacy and partitions to stunning effect. John says they were committed to using all local trades despite the sometimes

experimental nature of the design. “Bendigo has a lot to be proud of in terms of tradespeople and suppliers, we’ve got a fantastic talent pool here,” he says. To thank them, once the house was complete, the Bradburys invited all the tradies and contractors, plus partners, to one almighty house-warming party. “We had 80 people here for drinks and nibbles,” John says. “It’s wonderful to think that 80 people and their families were affected by the building of this house.” Lucas says the City of Greater Bendigo heritage planners also came to the party, so to speak. “If you’re going to build a new home in 2018, we want to make sure it looks like it was built in 2018,” he says. “So despite being in a heritage overlay area, the planners fully

embraced the build. Those layers of design are what makes our heritage areas unique.” Six weeks in, the effect this place is already having on the couple’s lives is evident. The two-bedroom guest quarters over the threecar garage, accessed via a bridge over the garden, is allowing them to share the love with friends and family. But when it’s just the two of them, life is also sweet. With their own bedroom at the front of the house, they’re connected to the morning routine of the street. The ‘public’ living areas of the home open to a lap pool and landscaped garden. The finishes glide from raw utilitarian to pure glamour. But it’s the natural elements that shine here; marble and timber, sun and stars. 99

Only ten years in the making.

Bendigo on my mind

Almost a Decade of Stories from

Bendigo Magazine & other thoughts considering the meaning of life

N E W C H U M PRESS

Now in book form, ‘BENDIGO ON MY MIND’ is an edited and annotated collection of stories as published in BENDIGO Magazine from the Autumn Issue of 2006 (#1) up to the present. 200 pages, A5 paperback, featuring author and illustrator Geoﬀ Hocking’s comical drawings, historic photographs and documents, some colour, mostly black and white — and his mother’s recipe for her traditional Cornish Pasties. Ten years of reminiscences of life in Bendigo, as it once was and as it sometimes is today. RRP $25 + $5 postage (boutique edition 100 copies printed) available here and there or from the author casbooks@bigpond.com

SHOWROOM NOW OPEN

20 Killians Walk Bendigo

Made in Bendigo

www.simonwilsonfurniture.com.au

03 5443 5838 | 12 Matchett Drive, East Bendigo

Tahlia Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Aloia, Jade Bennett, Milo the dog, Jacinta Allan and Maree Edwards

Pip Horsman, Najee Saban, Peter Harmsworth, Hal Swerissen and Angie Taras

Rayen Molina Valenzuela, Jonathan Ridnell, Katherine McGowan and Abhishek Awasthi

John Hartigan, Michael McCartney and Justin Littlefield

RIBBONS CUT Bendigo TAFE unveiled its two new multi-million dollar facilities last season, upping the ante for local educational opportunities.

Josh Owens, Madison James and Tom Warne

COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL photo: Rob Spaulding photo: Rob Spaulding

eplus@eplusarchitecture.com.au eplus@eplusarchitecture.com.au

Matt Emond, Jennifer Alden and Will Dalgliesh

RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL photo: Open2View photo: Open2View

www.eplusarchitecture.com.au www.eplusarchitecture.com.au

The centres for Food and Fibre and Health and Community will provide state-of-the-art experiences for students pursuing careers in those varied and in-demand fields.

EDUCATION EDUCATION

photo: Glenn Hester Photography photo: Glenn Hester Photography

turning japanese

Ancient elements of Asian design inspire a landscaped garden to bring luck and fortune to one local family. By Lauren Mitchell Landscaper Simon Rosa has seen some Bendigo backyards in his time, but nothing like this one. This Japanese-inspired garden is as zen as they come, featuring traditional Asian elements of rock, water, bonsai and a beautiful collection of colourful fish. “The owner had an overall vision for the space and we had to try and put it all together,” Simon says. “We’ll probably never get someone wanting to do a job like this again.” When Simon and his team first came to look at the blank canvas, all that was here was a large concrete shell in the centre of the yard. “We thought it was going to be a pool, but it was actually a pond,” Simon says. With the addition of locally-sourced quarry rocks and a custom-made water feature, said pond is now the ultimate fish home. It took the owner many patient months to source the large colourful fish, bit by bit. In Japanese culture the fish are associated with strength of purpose. They also symbolise good luck, abundance and perseverance. The latter was well called 102

for at times when constructing this space. To install the pond and underground pump house meant excavating through solid rock. The surface belies the fact the garden sits above classic goldfields country. Surrounding the pond is the owner’s collection of bonsai. Cedar, black pine, red pine and Japanese maples-in-miniature captivate, and the fact they’re placed on small pedestals around the space beckons closer inspection. In contrast to the bonsai, which require expert attention from a steady hand, the rest of the garden is very low-maintenance. An eco deck covers the pump house and surrounds an in-ground spa and the synthetic lawn will stay picture-perfect year round. Other plantings here include fast-growing bamboo screening to block out a Colorbond fence and provide afternoon shade, and in the front yard – a more traditional Englishstyle space – hedging of Tom Thumb proves why the evergreen shrub has eclipsed English box. Simon says Tom Thumb is easier to grow and makes a glossier, showier

hedge than the once-popular box plant. “The bamboo has doubled in height and thickened up since it was planted eight months ago,” Simon says. “It can get very invasive but it’s a matter of keeping on top of it because it does grow very quickly.” A wrought-iron fountain finishes off the home’s façade and gives little hint to the unique garden behind the home. “It’s a very tranquil backyard,” Simon says. “It was very much a challenge but we wanted to work with the owner to create this dream he’d had for a long time. “A lot of people get inspiration from travelling overseas. They might have seen something they like in Italy or France. That’s the beauty of what we can do – design and construct to suit different cultures – but we’d never done a Japanese garden in Bendigo before.”

103

Planwise Design can design projects ranging from small residential developments, up to large commercial projects, including providing specifications and project management. We also provide detailed Town Planning applications for all residential and commercial projects using Rescode and council planning policies for multi-unit developments through to heritage developments.

Ph: 03 5441 5888 | 38 Myrtle Street, Bendigo

www.planwisedesign.com.au

m: 0438 981 586 | p: 03 5442 8966 e: info@simonrosalandscaping.com www.simonrosalandscaping.com 190 Strickland Road, Strathdale

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Setting the standard for outdoor livingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

the italian job

When Fabrizio Soncin started kicking a soccer ball for fun as a young kid little did he know that it was the beginning of a life-long passion with the beautiful game. By Paula Hubert He may be 52 years old but Fabrizio Soncin can juggle and dribble a ball like an energetic teenager as he demonstrates complex technical drills to a small group of children. His coaching schedule is hectic. He holds clinics six days a week either at Spring Gully Soccer Club or at La Trobe University’s sports ground where he’s running his Advanced Academy in conjunction with the Bendigo Amateur Soccer League. In this new role, he provides extra training for identified players in the under 11s and under 12s Bendigo Representative Squads. Fabrizio, aka Fab, is vocal, encouraging the children to rise to the challenge in hand. He is a pro-licence coach, the highest qualification

for coaching soccer in Australia and Asia. During Bendigo Magazine’s visit, posts, cones and goals were set up for girls and boys to duck, weave, dribble, pass and shoot through. In harmony, the youngsters danced lightly around the ball, nudging and tapping it ever so gently with the grace of ballet dancers. “I’m passionate in motivating players and pushing them to the peak of their potential,” Fab says. “Part of that process is identifying the areas that are holding them back and changing their behaviours. As a coach it is satisfying to see a young player’s technique and confidence transform in a short space of time”.

Fab’s own young life illustrates his tenacity for the game. At age three his family moved from Italy to a small country town in far north Queensland, where they had a tobacco farm. He was very shy and insecure as a child. “I didn’t speak at all in grade one. Teachers tried everything,” he says. Soccer became his outlet and in a town with so many European immigrants the beautiful game was in their blood. “We went to school barefooted and at every opportunity we’d play soccer on the rock hard oval that was uneven and full of bindi (eye). Our feet would be full of holes and we’d 105

dip them in the water because they were stinging.” He remembers his first soccer ball. “It was brown, round and heavy,” he says laughing. “It looked like a medicine ball and I treasured it like a pet. I took it everywhere – to bed, under my desk at school. “Growing up on the farm was an advantage. We had a large corrugated shed. I’d use our diesel tank as a rebounder and volley the ball to a target on the shed wall.” Fab started playing in the B team for a local club at 10, often being picked for positions that no one else wanted. He became a left full back even though he was a right footer.

in those days, much to the delight of his family. He was among three Queensland teenagers from his region identified as players to watch. He was invited to state youth team trials but school exams prevented him from attending. This was the springboard for the Australian Institute of Sport and Australian Youth team where one of his contemporaries, Frank Farina, got selected and went on to play for his country and later became Socceroos’ coach. “It was a decision I later regretted, choosing school over my passion,” Fab says.

“This motivated me to practise more and I learnt how to use my left foot.” At under 11, Fab was selected at regional level and then ironically from under 14 to under 16 at state level as a left full back – he was the only boy picked from his area.

At 19, Fab was offered a professional contract in Italy where he was playing as a striker. As a dual citizen, he was required to do compulsory 18-months military service and along with being lovesick for his school sweetheart Lilla, he returned to Australia. (The couple have been married 29 years and have three children).

At 16 he played State League where one of his games was televised - a rare occurrence

Fab was invited to trial for Sydney City but missed the deadline for the mid-season

106

transfer window. “I allowed the setbacks and heartbreak to become bigger than the dream.” He got a ‘real job’ for 18 years working in real estate, but the soccer “passion was still burning inside” so he focused on coaching and getting the accreditations. “Being true to what I loved, I decided to quit my job in real estate. It was the beginning of my coaching adventure. I put an ad in the paper and the phone didn’t stop ringing.” In his soccer career, he has run regional clubs, coached seniors at regional and state league/NPL levels in Victoria and Queensland; state teams in national youth championships; and various elite development and talented programs in Victoria. He was the first coach to get Melbourne Victory’s W League team to a grand final. He moved to Bendigo three years ago to be the NPL’s technical director, but it didn’t work out for many reasons.

“There are many things I would have done differently but I am wiser for the experience. The adversity has become an opportunity for me to provide regional players with coaching expertise. I am able to impart my experience and knowledge of the game usually only available to players at elite programs. “The Advanced Academy is about giving kids the opportunity to apply their skills and develop game intelligence by learning the game structure, reading situations and applying effective solutions. “I also enjoy mentoring the local coaches and it’s flattering to get calls from senior NPL coaches from Melbourne and interstate to help solve their tactical problems.” Fab is not interested in nurturing fantasies but in helping children to be the best they can. “I always ask the players to give maximum effort and do everything in the present moment as it is the only thing they can control,” he says. A lesson that applies to life perhaps and not just to the beautiful game. 107

Servicing Central Victoria for over 40 years. 1977

Years

2018

Printing in Central Victoria

Graphic design

Promotional material

Digital printing

Signs, Flags & Banners

Offset printing

Laser engraving

Large format printing

Website development

and so much more...

Beat the EOFY rush. Speak to us today for your end of financial year design, print & promotion projects! 20-22 Deborah Street, Bendigo

5441 6600

harcourt's riding high

Take an abandoned pine plantation and a bypassed township, combine with the adventurous vision of some passionate locals and the result is mountains of fun on two wheels. By Raelee Tuckerman - Images supplied by La Larr Ba Gauwa Committee Mother Nature offers the perfect payoff for cyclists prepared to pedal up the singletrack slopes of the new La Larr Ba Gauwa mountain bike park at Harcourt. At various vantage points along the network of custom-built trails, riders are rewarded with spectacular scenery stretching from Mount Alexander and the surrounding valley, across to Mount Franklin, Clunes, the Smeaton volcanoes and the distant Pyrenees ranges. “This place defies expectations,” says MTB enthusiast and Castlemaine Rocky Riders founder Jason Tolland, who has traversed all 11 trails totalling 34km since the park opened on March 9 and is on the volunteer committee responsible for its management. “The lower slopes of Mount Alexander don’t look much from the freeway, but when you are there, the elevation is deceptive and the views from the top are absolutely breathtaking. “The whole Harcourt Valley opens before you

and you can see the agriculture, the towns, the bush and the mountains. There’s nothing like it that I have had the privilege of riding on previously – and I’ve ridden trails and parks all along Australia’s south-eastern seaboard.” But the vista is not the only attraction of La Larr Ba Gauwa, which means “stones and mountain” in the Dja Dja Wurrung language of the site’s Traditional Owners. There are daring descents, giant berms (dirt banks), granite boulders and other technical features to test advanced riders, and places to perform rock-hops, jumps and other tricks. Trails are colour-coded according to difficulty, with one green beginners’ loop, eight blue courses for intermediate riders, and three black diamond tracks for the experts. “Most of the blue tracks can be ridden to your own level of experience,” says Jason. “There are some very challenging natural

features built into some runs that require a high degree of skill to navigate, though most people would simply choose to ride around them. “For example, a kid on a child’s bike could roll down track two quite safely even though it has a humungous jump on it, yet a highly skilled MTB pro can ride the same section and fly high through the air, so everyone gets a really great experience.” While the park offers Australia’s mountain bike fraternity an exciting area to explore, it also provides fresh purpose to land that had sat dormant as a logged-out former pine plantation for more than a decade and breathes new life into Harcourt after the Calder redevelopment detoured thousands of drivers - and their daily custom - around it. Avid cyclist David Bannear was among the group that proposed the idea of a MTB park for the site and a member of the steering committee that helped make the dream a reality. 109

Having seen how a similar venture had boosted tourism in Rotorua, New Zealand, he was convinced it could help revitalise business in his own back yard. A commissioned feasibility study predicted up to 100,000 annual visitors and confirmed the potential financial benefits. “We could demonstrate that if you build a MTB park, you bring economic development,” David says. “We looked at other parks around the world and identified key aspects that brought them success, which included iconic landscapes, an engaged cycling community and accessibility. Harcourt had them all.” The $1.99 million project was funded by the State Government, managed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and constructed by trail contractors Dirt Art. It involved collaboration and co-operation from organisations including Goldfields Tourism, the Goldfields Track Committee, Mount Alexander Sustainability Group, Harcourt Landcare, Harcourt Progress Association and Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation. To acknowledge the site’s sacred cultural heritage, each trail bears a traditional Dja Dja Wurrung name: Wanyarra (water); Murnong (yam daisy); Werpil (wedge-tail eagle); and Barramul (emu). Cars are now returning to Harcourt in droves, most with mountain bikes attached. “The impact on Harcourt has been noticeable already,” says David. “I would estimate about 4000-5000 people rode the park trails in the first five weeks it was open. The café is a lot busier on weekends, the local store that had closed is to be redeveloped into something in tune with this type of tourism, and the old bakery is being repaired to reopen. “If it develops as other parks have done, there will eventually be national and international events there and other businesses will emerge that cater for the MTB market.” Patrons must park in the township itself and ride 2km on the path alongside Market Street and Picnic Gully Road to reach the trail head, which then branches towards northern and southern hubs from which other tracks can be accessed. With mostly machine-built routes and a small number of narrow hand-cut segments, the park caters for riders of all abilities. Trails range from 1.3km to 5km long and are open 24/7 – lights are sometimes seen flickering on the mountainside from twowheeled night trekkers. Jason says La Larr Ba Gauwa’s early popularity has been overwhelming. “It has exceeded my expectations, and the diversity of people using the park has been fantastic,” he says. “I am blown away seeing so many little kids and women of all ages on all types of bikes out there enjoying themselves. This gives people a safe, defined place to ride. It wouldn’t even surprise me 110

if, in the next few years, we have a whole host of new MTB talent coming out of this region that will have been fostered through this park. Bendigo and Castlemaine have led the way and had four or five riders represent Australia in mountain biking or go on to professional road careers, but they have come up through the club system. “This park could breed champions from kids who just go out there and have a go – wherever they build awesome trails, the skill level of the kids who ride them accelerates so quickly.” How lucky we are, muses David, to have such a top-class facility right on our doorstep delivering a new adventure with every visit. “The atmosphere is something you don’t get to experience too often in Central Victoria,” says David. “If you are a MTB rider, you usually ride in forests but up there you have these stunning views and clear, crisp air. It’s a beautiful, remarkable place that I never really appreciated before. This park puts the mountain back into bike riding!” To download a copy of the trail map and brochure, visit lalarrbagauwa.harcourt.vic.au See following page for more activities in the Harcourt region.

111

BRESS WINE CIDER AND PRODUCE Bress is a picturesque property with spectacular views of the granite outcrops of Mount Alexander and the surrounding foothills. Boasting a sustainable practices status, Bress produces award-winning wine and cider. It also features a weekend restaurant, which derives much of the menu from the Bress garden produce, boutique accommodation and a variety of food and wine events.

HARCOURT PRODUCE AND GENERAL STORE The heart of Harcourt is in good hands, with new owner/chef Annette Rae pouring her energy into the revival and development of this vibrant community space. Due to open in July, Harcourt Produce and General Store will provide a regional food and produce experience, including Annette’s own range of preserves, a delicatessen, cakes, coffees, cold drinks, breads and food as well as newspapers and convenience items. Produce is sourced from her own garden and local growers.

stay awhile in harcourt The new mountain bike trail may be bringing in the masses to Harcourt, but there are plenty of reasons to stay on after the ride. Here’s a selection of businesses welcoming visitors for warm hospitality, good food, wine and cider. NORTH RUN WINE North Run’s owner and winemaker Lincoln Riley is a former Australian sommelier of the year who believes wholeheartedly that Harcourt is the best area for growing grapes. With over 5000 vines established in the region, Lincoln and partner Marsha are producing shiraz, nebbiolo and rose, with plans to develop the vineyard further. North Run’s cellar door can be found at Lincoln and Marsha’s other business, Harvest Food and Wine in View Street, Bendigo.

KILLIECRANKIE WINES

112

Killiecrankie Wines is located just near the new Ravenswood bypass. As a wellrespected viticulturist with over 15 years’ experience, winemaker John Monteith has a keen following, as does the cellar door, which often hosts events and showcases local artwork. Located in a historic sheeprun cottage, guests are welcome to bring a picnic lunch, sit under the 100-plus-yearold pear tree and enjoy Killiecrankie wines in the peaceful surrounds.

HENRY OF HARCOURT Henry of Harcourt uses real apples to make real cider. The orchard is run by the Henry family, which prides itself on offering more than products and services; they offer memorable experiences, character, worthwhile knowledge and meaningful connection from their farm gate in Reservoir Road. They encourage visitors to call in for a chat and to sample their superb cider. The apple trees may be resting in winter, but it’s business as usual for this busy family.

MORE THAN JUST BENCH TOPS

STONE BENCHTOPS • FLOOR AND WALL CLADDING • SPLASHBACKS VANITIES • ALL BUDGETS CATERED FOR • PRIVATE CUSTOMERS WELCOME OFFCUTS AVAILABLE FOR BESPOKE PROJECTS

4436 1020 104 Beischer Street, Bendigo East

www.vstone.com.au

FI2643

Bendigo 127 Mollison Street Ph: 03 5442 4298 fortywinks.com.au